SCHOOL LAW SUPPLEMENT 



GIVING THE 



AMENDMENTS AND NEW SCHOOL LAWS 



AS ENACTED BV 



THE LEGISLATURE OF 191 



G. P. GARY 
State Superintendent 




,MA.DISON, WISCONSIN 

DX.UOCRAT jPi«-?STi?fG C6mfajs:y. Stats Pvuntkk 

1 on 7 



SCHOOL LAW SUPPLEMENT 



GIVING THE 



AMENDMENTS AND NEW SCHOOL LAWS 



AS ENACTED BY 



THE LEGISLATURE OF 1917 



C. P GARY 
State Superintendent 




MADISON, WISCONSIN 

Democrat Printing Company, State Printer 

1917 



If'v 25 t9ti 






OFFICE OF 
STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS 

MADISON, WISCONSIN. 

To School Officers : 

This supplement gives the educational acts passed by the 
legislature of 1917. In eases where an already existing statute 
has been amended, comparison with the original may be made 
by noting the statement printed at the conclusion of each act 
and consulting the section amended, as found in the school law 
pamphlet of 1915 sent out from this office, or the volume of 
Wisconsin Statutes for the same year. This pamphlet and the 
School Law Pamphlet for 1915 should be fastened together in 
some way. It is not likely that a new and complete edition of 
the school laws in pamphlet form will be issued until after the 
legislative session of 1919. By that time a new and complete 
edition will be necessary. 

Some of the more important statutes have been repealed and 
then reenacted and so arranged that the sections relating to the 
same subject are brought together and appear under one chapter 
heading. This is especially true of the laws relating to trans- 
portation (see Chapter 441), creation of districts (Chapter 497), 
and free high schools (Chapter 563). Chapter 143 is of special 
interest to school board members, particularly the clerk. Chap- 
ters relating to appropriations are generally omitted. School 
officers should get together and read and discuss such of these 
new laws as may apply to the schools and conditions in their 
particular district or neighborhood. Chapter 317 demands im- 
mediate attention. The requirements to be met in order that 
your school may be successfully placed in the list of first-class 
rural schools can be found in this pamphlet. School officers, 
parents, and teachers should keep clearly in mind the fact that 
this department is organized to meet the call of the public, no 
matter from what source or along what particular educational 
lines the call may come. We are here to help. 

Sincerely yours, 

C. P. Gary, 
State Superintendent. 



SCHOOL LAWS OE WISCONSIN 



Chapter 5 9. Section 7. The board of directors of each city in 
which this act shall be applicable is hereby authorized and required 
to establish and organize so many public schools, in addition to 
those already established in such city, as may be necessary for the 
accommodation of the children of the city entitled by the constitu- 
tion and laws of the state, to instruction therein. 

The said board, as herein provided, shall erect, purchase, hire or 
lease buildings, improve or enlarge the same, and purchase furni- 
ture and lots for the accommodation of such public schools of said 
city, and purchase, install and maintain heating systems in said 
schools, and enter into contract for the carrying out of any of the 
purposes authorized in this act; provided, however, that when the 
board of directors shall contemplate the doing of any work or the 
purchasing of any material, the estimated cost of which shall exceed 
the sum of five hundred dollars, said board of directors shall ad- 
vertise for proposals for doing the same, a plan or profile of the 
work to be done, accompanied with specifications for doing the 
same, or other appropriate sufficient description of the work re- 
quired to be done, and all the kinds or quality of material to be 
furnished, being first placed on file in the office of said board for 
the information of bidders and others. Such advertisement shall 
be published at least six days in the official papers of such city and 
shall state the work to be done and the time for doing the same, 
which shall in all cases be such reasonable time as may be neces- 
sary to enable the contractor with proper diligence to perform and 
complete such work. 

All proposals shall be sealed, and directed to said board and shall 
be accompanied with a bond to such city in the penal sum not less 
than thirty per cent, of the amount of the board's estimate of the 
cost of such work, as such board in such advertisement may direct, 
or in lieu of said bond shall be accompanied by a certified check to 
such city in the amount of not less than fifteen per cent, of the 
amount of the board's estimate of the cost of such work, or in lieu 
of said bond or said certified check, said proposal shall be accom- 
panied by cash in the amount of not less than fifteen per cent., of 
the amount of said board's estimate of the cost of such Work, and 
such board in letting any such contract and in doing such work 
shall proceed in manner and form and have the power and author- 
ity in manner and form as is vested in the board of public works, 



6 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

or other public officer or officers, of any such city for the doing of 
any public work and the entering into contracts therefor. Such 
board shall also have authority to reserve the right to reject any 
and all bids submitted. Such contracts shall run in the name of 
the said city, and shall be executed and signed by the president and 
secretary of the board of school directors, countersigned by the 
comptroller of said city, and shall be approved by the city attorney 
of the said city, as to form and execution. The selection of sites 
for school buildings and adoption of plans for the erection of school 
buildings, shall be determined by a committee consisting of the pres- 
ident of the board of school directors, the chairman of the commit- 
tee on buildings of said board of school directors and the superin- 
tendent of schools who shall be known as the statutory committee 
on school sites and plans. Their decision shall be subject to the 
approval of the said board of school directors. The schoolhouses 
now erected and the lots on which they are situated and the lots 
now or hereafter purchased for school purposes and the school- 
houses thereon erected shall be the property of the city; no lot shall 
be purchased or leased, nor shall any schoolhouse be erected with- 
out resolution duly passed by the board of school directors. Deeds 
of conveyance and leases shall be made to the city. 

The said board shall also have the power to establish and define 
from time to time the boundaries of all common and high school 
districts in such manner as they may deem best calculated to pro- 
mote the interests of the schools. 

The board shall also have the power, subject to the powers and 
regulations of the city service commission, to employ all janitors 
necessary in the schoolhouses of their city and to fix their compen- 
sation, but the principal of each school shall be custodian of all 
buildings and rooms occupied by the school over which he presides 
and shall have the general supervision over the same, and shall di- 
rect the janitor thereof in relation to the keeping and care of such 
buildings and rooms. 

Chapter 71. Section 49 6h — 1. 1. The school board of any 
school district maintaining a first class state graded school as de- 
fined in section 496d, which in addition to the regular course of 
study provided for state graded schools, offers a course of instruc- 
tion in the ninth or tenth, or in the ninth and tenth grades which 
has been adopted by the board and approved by the state superin- 
tendent, shall admit nonresident pupils to the privileges of the ninth 
or tenth or the ninth and tenth grades in such first-class state 
graded school whenever the teaching and seating facilities will war- 
rant, provided that the parents or guardians of such pupils live in 
a school district not maintaining a public high school or a state 
graded school of the first class offering instruction in the ninth or 
tenth or the ninth and tenth grades, and provided such pupils have 
completed the course of study offered in the home district, which 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 7 

must have been at least equivalent to the course of study provided 
for the common schools of Wisconsin, and who hold a certificate or 
diploma to that effect signed by the county superintendent of 
schools of the county in which the parents or guardians reside. In 
such cases the school board of such school district shall be entitled 
and is hereby authorized and directed to collect from the town or 
village in which the parents or guardians of such pupils reside a 
sum not to exceed one dollar per week as tuition for the number 
of weeks that each such pupil was enrolled in the said first-class 
state graded school for the purpose of taking the ninth or tenth or 
the ninth and tenth grade work as offered in such schools. 

2. A statement of the amount of tuition due such first-class state 
graded school district shall be rendered to the towns and villages 
in which the parents or guardians of such pupils reside, and the 
amount shall be levied, collected, and paid in the same manner as 
tuition is now collected and paid free high school districts for the 
attendance of nonresident pupils, as provided in sections 49 6j to 
49 6o of the statutes. Twenty days of actual attendance, including 
legal holidays, shall constitute a school month. 

3. No school district maintaining a first-class graded school 
offering a course of instruction in the ninth or tenth or the ninth 
and tenth grades shall be privileged to collect pay for tuition as 
provided in this section unless the course of study shall have been 
approved by the state superintendent, and unless the work done in 
the ninth or the tenth or the ninth and tenth grades shall have 
been efficient and approved by the inspector of state graded schools 
for the year in which the tuition for nonresident pupils is demanded. 
And provided further that the teaching force in the school shall have 
been adequate for giving instruction in the first eight grades and in 
the ninth or tenth or in the ninth and tenth grades, and that the 
work done in the first eight grades shall have been efficient and up 
to the standard required for state graded schools as set by the state 
superintendent. 

The following points in the above measure are worthy of special 
attention on the part of a school board of a district which maintains 
a state graded school of the first class. 

(a) Tuition not to exceed $1.00 per month may be collected on 
account of attendance of pupils taking 9th and 10th grade work or 
work in either of these grades. 

(b) No tuition can be collected for nonresidents taking 11th year 
work. 

(c) If 11th or 12th grade work is desirable, a free high school 
should be organized. 

(d) Only nonresidents who have completed the course of study in 
the home district are privileged to have tuition made a charge upon 
the outside territory. 

(e) The statement referred to in paragraph 2 should be made out 
in detail and sent to the proper authorities on or before the first 
day of July. There is no reason why this statement should not be 
made immediately after the close of the school. The principal 
should assist in making out the bills. It should be directed to the 
town clerk. He is to place the amount due in the tax roll. The 



8 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

statute commands this and other town authorities are not called 
upon to take any action. Twenty days' attendance (not enrollment) 
is to constitute a school month. 

(f) The course of study for 9th and 10th grade as carried out in 
the school must have the approval of the inspector of state graded 
schools, and the teaching force must be sufficient and efficient. This 
demands much care on the part of the board in selecting teachers, 
and the exercise of judgment rather than personal interest or finan- 
cial profit on the part of teachers. Trouble begins for all concerned 
when the teacher fails. 

Chapter 97. Section 1408a- — 1. All teachers shall immediately 
send home any pupil who is habitually unclean and emits offensive 
bodily odors, or who is infested with lice or other vermin and shall 
immediately notify, in writing, the clerk of the school board or the 
superintendent of schools and the parents or guardian of such 
pupil, of such condition. 

Chapter 98. Section 573aa. 4. The state board of control is 
authorized and directed, whenever suitable and reasonable arrange- 
ments can be made, to transfer any child designated in subsection 1 
of this section, or to cause any such child to be committed, to some 
other appropriate hospital in this state wherein such treatment, 
surgical assistance and care may be given. 

Section 573aa. 1. In addition to the classes of children now re- 
ceived at the state public school for neglected or dependent children 
at Sparta, pursuant to existing laws, there shall also be received 
as pupils in the said school, any children under fourteen years of 
age, residents of this state, who are crippled or deformed in body 
or otherwise physically defective, or who are suffering from disease 
through which they are likely to become crippled or deformed or 
otherwise physically defective, provided, their bodily ailments or 
diseases are curable by surgical operation or hospital treatment at 
the school with facilities, appliances, material, equipment and pro- 
fessional skill and assistants provided therefor, subject only to the 
limitations contained in the next section. 

^Chapter 102. Section 447h. 1. It shall be the duty of each 
teacher in the public schools of the State of Wisconsin to devote 
not less than thirty minutes in each month during which the school 
is in session to instructing the pupils thereof in the habits, useful- 
ness, and importance of dumb animals and birds, and in the best 
methods of protecting, preserving, and caring for all animal and 
bird life. 

2. School boards and boards of education having control of the 
public schools shall take such steps as may be necessary to have the 
teachers in the schools under their jurisdiction carry out the pro- 
visions of this section and shall cause suitable material on this sub- 
ject to be included in the course of study prepared for the guidance 
of teachers. 

The above statute affords the teacher a good opportunity to give 
A-aluable instruction bearing upon the value of certain birds, animals 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 9 

and insects with reference to agriculture and horticulture and at 
the same time calls attention to the enormous destruction of grains 
and fruits and vegetables and other property, caused by other ani- 
mals and insects such as rats, moths, certain hutterflies, etc. 

Chapter 111. Section 475. For the purpose of aiding in the pur- 
chasing of a site or the erection or purchasing of a schoolhouse or 
to equip a school building with a heating, lighting and ventilating 
plant or one or more such plants or to improve or equip such build- 
ing in any other way, any school district, whether organized under 
general law, special law, or charter, may, by vote of the electors at 
any annual or special meeting, called for that purpose authorize the 
district board, school board or board of education to borrow money, 
to an amount which shall not in any way exceed the limitations now 
provided by general law. The resolution to be voted upon shall be 
in writing, specifying the amount to be borrowed, the purposes for 
which to be borrowed, the rate of interest, and the time and man- 
ner of payment, "which shall be in annual instalments, or otherwise, 
the last of which shall be payable in not exceeding fifteen years 
from the first day of February next ensuing. Such resolution shall 
be read to the meeting and the vote taken thereon by ballots. The 
ballots shall be written or printed, those in favor of the loan: "For 
the loan"', those opposed: "Against the loan". The resolution and 
vote shall be recorded, and if adoi)ted by a majority, the district 
board, school board or board of education shall be thereupon au- 
thorized to borrow such sum of any person on such terms, and exe- 
cute and deliver to the lender such obligation therefor and such se- 
curity for payment, including a mortgage or pledge of any real or 
personal property of the district, subject to the direction contained 
in the resolution voted, as may be agreed upon, not prohibited by 
law, and shall also levy a tax to be annually collected thereafter, 
sufficient to pay the interest annually on such loan and the annual 
instalments of the principal, provided to be paid in each year. 

Any bonds issued by any such school district, to secure any loan 
which bonds shall have been issued in conformity to law, including 
the provisions of this section, as amended are hereby declared to 
be and are valid claims and liens against the school district so issu- 
ing the same. 

This chapter empowers the electors of a school district to author- 
ize the board to borrow money for the purposes named herein from 
some bank, firm or individual, but not from the trust funds. The 
statute relating to the borrowing of money from the trust funds 
will ue foiind in another place. It must be remembered by the 
electors and school officers that the statute must be strictly complied 
with and that even though it may sometimes appear that there 
is an unnecessary amount of red tape in posting and serving notices, 
presenting the resolutions, etc., etc., there is no other method by 
which the desired results can be lawfully brought about. 

Chapter 118. Section 4575. Any owner or keeper of any billiard 
table, pool table, pigeonhole table or bowling alley kept for gain. 



10 SCHOOL, LAWS OP WISCONSIN, 1917 

or any agent or servant of such owner or keeper in charge thereof 
who shall allow or in any manner permit any person under the age 
of eighteen years except with the written consent of the parent or 
guardian to play any game thereon, shall be punished by imprison- 
ment in the county jail not more than ten days or by fine not ex- 
ceeding twenty-five dollars. 

While the above chapter is not a school statute it nevertheless re- 
lates to matters of importance to parents, guardians and others. 

Chapter 135. Section 425. 1. The annual district meeting in 
all school districts shall be held on the first Monday of July, unless 
that be a legal holiday, in which case it shall be held on the next 
day, at eight o'clock in the afternoon, unless contrary to some 
special provision in a district organized under a special act, but a 
different hour may be fixed by the annual district meeting for the 
next succeeding annual district meeting. 

2. Any special district meeting shall be held on the day and 
hour fixed therefor in the notice. It shall be the duty of the dis- 
trict board to meet on the Saturday immediately preceding the an- 
nual meeting to carefully examine the accounts of the treasurer and 
make a full and itemized report of all receipts and expenditures 
since the last annual meeting and of the amount in the hands of 
the district treasurer; the amount of the deficit or bills payable, if 
any, for which the district is liable; of the amount necessary to be 
raised by tax upon the district for the support of the school for the 
ensuing year, and of the amount required to pay the interest or 
principal of any debt (indebtedness to the state trust funds ex- 
cepted) due or to become due during the year. This report shall 
be presented at the annual meeting in writing and shall be read to 
the electors by the chairman of the meeting. The district clerk 
shall copy said report with the action taken thereon, and all other 
business proceedings of the meeting in full, in the "district record 
book. 

This chapter provides that the annual meeting shall be held at 
8 o'clock in the afternoon but provides that a special district meet- 
ing may be called at the hour fixed in the notice. Another statute 
provides that no more than two special meetings may be called dur- 
ing the same year to consider the same subject. 

Chapter 143. Section 430. (18) At the annual meeting only, 
to vote a tax to compensate the treasurer and director, which in 
districts supporting graded or high schools shall be such sums as 
may be voted, and in other districts maintaining only one school not 
more than ten nor less than five dollars to each of the above 
officers, and in districts maintaining more than one school in sep- 
arate buildings five dollars for each separate additional school main- 
tained in a separate building, provided the buildings are at least a 
mile and a half apart, the distance to be measured by the nearest 
traveled highway. 



SCHOOL LAWS OP WISCONSIN, 1917 H 

Section 462. It shall be the duty of the district clerk, between 
the tenth and twenty-fifth days of July in each year, to make and 
transmit to the county or city superintendent, a written report bear- 
ing date as of the thirtieth day of June, of such year, signed by him 
and verified by his afiidavit, showing: 

First. The number, names and ages of children, male and fe- 
male designated separately, over the age of four and under the age 
of twenty years residing in the district, and the names of their par- 
ents, guardians or other persons with whom such children resided, 
respectively, on the last day of June preceding. But no such chil- 
dren residing in, held or cared for at any charitable or penal in- 
stitution of this state shall be included in such enumeration or re- 
port; and whenever the state superintendent shall receive informa- 
tion that any such children have been enumerated in the school 
census of any school district included in the reports made to him, 
on the basis of which apportionment of money from the school fund 
income is made, he may require from the district clerk or the sec- 
retary of the board of education of said district a verified statement 
of the whole number of children of school age residing in the dis- 
trict not excluded by the provisions of this section, in such form 
and manner as the said superintendent may prescribe. Unless the 
certificate herein provided for shall be made no money shall be ap- 
portioned for the benefit of said school district. 

Second. The whole number of children, males and females desig- 
nated separately, between the ages of four and twenty years taught 
in the district school during the year for which such report is made 
by teachers duly qualified. 

Third. The number attending school during the year under the 
age of four and the number over the age of twenty years. 

Fourth. The whole time, in days, any common school has been 
taught in the district, including holidays, and the whole number of 
days such school has been taught by teachers qualified according to 
law, including holidays, and the days the teachers may have at- 
tended an institute during the year while the school was in session 
for which no deduction in wages was made by the district board. 

Fifth. The names of all teachers employed during the year, the 
number of days taught by each, including holidays, and the monthly 
wages paid to each, and the time allowed any teacher for attendance 
on any institute for which no wages were deducted. 

Sixth. The amount of money received from the town treasurer 
during the year, designating separately the amount received from 
apportionment of the school fund income, the amount received from 
tax levied by county board of supervisors, the amount received from 
tax voted by the district, and the amount received from all other 
sources during the year, and the manner in which the same has 
been expended, showing separately the expenditure of school money 
received from the state. 

Seventh. Such other facts and statistics in relation to the 
schools, public or private, in such district as the state superintend- 



12 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

ent may from time to time require. The clerli of each joint district 
shall report to the county or city superintendent, as the case may 
be, the number of children residing in each part of the several 
towns, villages, or cities embraced in such joint districts. He shall 
also report the amount of the indebtedness of the district. Upon 
filing with the county superintendent within the time set by law, a 
complete and satisfactory annual report setting forth all the facts 
required by law to be reported to the county or city superintendent, 
and such other information as may be called for by either the 
county or city superintendent, the school district clerk in a school 
district maintaining one or more schools in one or more separate 
school buildings and not containing an incorporated village or city, 
and having a school census of one hundred persons or less shall be 
paid from any moneys in the general fund of the school district 
treasury of which he is the clerk, the sum of ten dollars for each 
one-room school maintained by the district; provided, that such 
schools are more than a mile and a half apart, the distance to be 
measured by the nearest traveled highway. In a school district 
maintaining one or more separate schools in separate buildings and 
not containing an incorporated village or city and haviug a school 
census of more than one hundred persons and not more than two 
hundred persons, twenty dollars for the first school and an additional 
ten dollars for each separate school maintained in a separate build- 
ing by the district, provided, that such schools are more than a mile 
and a half apart, the distance to be measured by the nearest trav- 
eled highway. In a school district maintaining one or more separ- 
ate schools in separate buildings and not containing an incorporated 
village or city and having a school census of more than two hun- 
dred persons and not more than three hundred persons, thirty dol- 
lars for the first school and an additional ten dollars for each separ- 
ate school maintained in a separate building by the district; pro- 
vided, that such schools are more than a mile and a half apart, the 
distance to be measured by the nearest traveled highway; and in 
school districts having a school census of more than three hundred 
persons of school age, or containing an incorporated village or city, 
or maintaining a high school or graded school, or in districts main- 
taining town or union high schools, such sum as the body electing 
the school board of such school district may direct; provided, such 
school clerk shall file with the district treasurer a certificate signed 
by the county or city superintendent of schools setting forth that 
the school census for the year was properly taken, and that all re- 
ports required by law to be made by school district clerks have been 
filed on and within the time specified by law and approved. 

This chapter is of particular interest to school district clerks and 
secretaries of boards of education. It should be carefully studied by 
such officers before any move is made in the matter of taking the 
school census and making the annual report. The blanks sent out by 
the state superintendent each year contain definite instructions, 
which if studied, may be readily followed and will save much delay 
and annoyance. 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 13 

Chapter 154. Section 925 — 133. (9) Such other purposes as 
are authorized by these statutes. No such bonds shall be issued 
unless authorized by an ordinance adopted by a vote in favor of the 
same of at least three fourths of all thie members of the common 
council elect, said vote to be at a regular meeting, not less than one 
week after the proposed ordinance shall have been published in the 
official paper of the city. In case of bonds issued for street im- 
provements, school purposes, waterworks, lighting works for streets 
and public buildings, hospitals, dredging, docking, river and other 
harbor improvements, sewerage, parks and public grounds, a vote 
of the people of the city shall not be required unless within thirty 
days after the passage by the common council of the city of the or- 
dinance authorizing the issuing of the bonds for such purposes 
there shall b6 filed in the office of the city clerk a petition in writ- 
ing, signed by not less than ten per cent in number of the voters 
who voted in said city at the last general election, asking for sub- 
mission of the question of issuing such bonds to a vote of the peo- 
ple, in which case such question shall be submitted as provided in 
section 943; provided that no election or vote by the people thereon 
shall have any validity, or any effect whatever on the action of the 
common council of any city when the purpose of such bonds is to 
repair, improve, make additions to, or replace with new buildings 
any school building or buildings which have been legally condemned 
or declared to be unfit for school purposes for any reason whatever 
by the proper authorities, pursuant to the provisions of section 517 
of the statutes, and this provision shall apply to any such election 
where such order or decree made under and pursuant to said section 
517 is made and filed at any date prior to the date of any proposed 
election on such bond issue; provided, that no such bonds shall be 
issued so that the amount thereof, together with all other indebted- 
ness of the city, shall exceed five per cent of the assessed valuation 
of the property therein at the last assessment for the state and 
county taxes previous to the incurring of such indebtedness; that 
that all such bonds issued shall be payable at the option of the city 
in annual installments, the last installment being payable not more 
than twenty years after their date, and shall bear interest not ex- 
ceeding six per cent per annum, payable semi-annually, and that 
the council shall have provided for the collection of a direct annual 
tax sufficient to pay the interest thereon as it falls due and to pay 
and discharge the principal thereof within twenty years from the 
date of the issue of such bonds. The council may also issue nego- 
tiable bonds constituting a general city liability for the refunding 
of other bonds or for the funding of general city indebtedness or 
liability in the following cases: 

^Chapter 157. Section 4 3 Of. 1. Whenever any school district 
having a schoolhouse of one room only shall enroll and have in 
attendance therein for a period of more than twenty days during any 
one school term sixty or more pupils, it shall be the duty of the 



j[4. SCHOOL, LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

electors of said district at the next annual meeting to authorize the 
district board to make provision for an additional room and an 
additional teacher for the accommodation and instruction of said 
children. 

2. Failure to comply with this section shall cause the district to 
forfeit the right to share in the apportionment in that part of the 
public money which said district would otherwise receive from the 
seven-tenths mill tax as provided by law. 

If a school district shows an average daily attendance of any- 
thing like 60 pupils in a one-room school during the year, the 
electors should by all means seriously consider the question of or- 
ganizing a state graded school. The advantages offered by a state 
graded school both educationally and financially should be seriously 
considered by the electors in districts having a large school popula- 
tion, but maintaining a one-room school only. 

Chapter 165. Section 432. The director, treasurer and clerk 
shall constitute the district board. In all joint school districts con- 
taining a city of the fourth class, or an incorporated village, said" 
district board shall meet on the day following each annual district 
meeting at the hour of eight o'clock in the afternoon of that day, 
at the place where the preceding annual meeting was held, and by 
resolution fix the time and place for holding stated and regular 
meetings of the board during the ensuing year. A majority of the 
members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business 
and all business transacted pertaining to the district at any such 
regular meeting shall be lawful, but special meetings of the board 
may be called by any two members thereof by serving on the other 
member a written notice of the time and place of such meeting at 
least twenty-four hours before such meeting is to take place. No 
act authorized to be done by the board shall be valid unless voted 
at its meeting and no formal notice of a special meeting shall be re- 
quired where all members are present and consent to consider mat- 
ters relating to the district. In all other districts, except where 
otherwise provided by law, all meetings of the board shall be called 
in the manner herein provided for calling special meetings. 

This requires regular meetings of the members of the school board 
in all villages, and in all cities of the fourth class, (10,000 popula- 
tion or less) where the village or city is a part of a joint school 
dirtrict and the provisions apply to all villages and about two-thirds 
of the cities in the state. 

Chapter 172. Section 925 — 113a. 4. In all cases where a vote 
under this section of the statutes has been had during the year 
1917, which vote has resulted in favor of the change to the ordin- 
ary district system of school government, the resolution filed with 
the city clerk, on which any such election was held shall be sufficient 
if it was signed by thirty per cent in number of the legal voters of 
such city school district voting for school officers at the last previous 
school election. 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 I5 

5. Where a vote under this section of the statutes has been had 
during the year 1917, resulting in favor of a change to the ordinary- 
district system of school government, the first meeting of said 
school district for the organization of said district under the ordin- 
ary system of school government shall be held on the first Monday 
of July of said year and notice of the place and time of holding said 
meeting may be given by the city clerk of said city in the manner 
designated by section 426 of the statutes; and at said first meeting 
the district shall have power to act upon any and all of the matters 
specified in section 430 and section 475 of the statutes, whether the 
notice of said meeting refers to said matters or not. 

This chapter may be of interest to electors and school officers in 
small cities. The above is but a small part of chapter 178. Section 
431a of the statutes should be studied in connection with this 
chapter, inasmuch as the method of holding school district meetings 
provided by said section has proved highly popular wherever 
adopted. 

Chapter 178. 1801. Custody, preservation, and delivery of offi- 
cial property and records. (1) Each and every officer of the state, 
or of any county, town, city, village, school district, or other munici- 
pality or district, is the legal custodian of and shall safely keep and 
preserve all property and things received from his predecessor or 
other persons and required by law to be filed, deposited, or kept in 
his office, or which are in the lawful possession or control of him- 
self or his deputies, or to the possession or control of which he or 
they may be lawfully entitled, as such officers. 

(2) Except as expressly provided otherwise, any person may with 
proper care, during office hours and subject to such orders or regu- 
lations as the custodian thereof may prescribe, examine or copy any 
of the property or things mentioned in subsection (1). 

(3) Upon the expiration of his term of office, or whenever his 
oifice becomes vacant, each such officer, or on his death his legal 
representative, shall on demand deliver to his successor all such 
property and things then in his custody, and his successor shall re- 
ceipt therefor to said officer, who shall file said receipt, as the case 
may be, in the office of the secretary of state, county clerk, town 
clerk, city clerk, village clerk, school district clerk, or clerk or 
other secretarial officer of the municipality or district, respectively ; 
but if a vacancy occurs before such successor is qualified, such prop- 
erty and things shall be delivered to and be receipted for by such 
secretary or clerk, respectively, on behalf of the successor to be de- 
livered to such successor upon the latter's receipt. 

(4) Any person who violates any of the provisions of this section 
shall, m addition to any other liability or penalty, civil or criminal, 
forfeit not less than twenty-five nor more than two thousand dol- 
lars; such forfeiture to be enforced by a civil action on behalf of, 
and the proceeds to be paid into the treasury of the state, munici- 
pality, qr district, as the case may be. 



16 SCHOOL, LAWS OP WISCONSIN, 1917 

Section 3. Sections 978 to 983, inclusive, of the statutes are con- 
solidated and renumbered to be section 18.02 and revised to read: 

18.02 Proceedings to Compel the Delivery of Official Property. 
(1) If any public officer refuses or neglects to deliver to his suc- 
cessor any official property or things as required in section 18.01, 
or if such property or things shall come to the hands of any other 
person who refuses or neglects, on demand, to deliver the same to 
the successor in such office, such successor may make complaint 
thereof to any judge of a court of record for the circuit or county 
where the person so refusing or neglecting resides. If such judge 
be satisfied by the oath of the complainant and such other testi- 
mony as may be offered that any such property or things are with- 
held he shall grant an order directing the person so refusing to 
show cause before him, within some short and reasonable time, why 
he should not be compelled to deliver the same. 

(2) At the time appointed, or at any other time to which the 
matter may be adjourned, upon due proof of service of such order, 
if the person complained against makes affidavit before such judge 
that he has delivered to such successor all the ofiicial property and 
things in his custody or possession pertaining to such office, within 
his knowledge, the person complained against shall be discharged 
and all further proceedings in the matter before such judge shall 
cease. 

(3) If the person complained against does not make such affidavit 
the matter shall proceed as follows: 

(a) The judge shall inquire further into the matters set forth in 
the complaint, and if it appears that any such property or things 
are withheld by the person complained against the judge shall by 
warrant commit him to the county jail, there to remain until the 
delivery of such property and things to the complainant or until he 
be otherwise discharged according to law. 

(b) If required by the complainant the judge shall also issue his 
warrant, directed to the sheriff or any constable of the county, com- 
manding him in the daytime to search such places as shall be desig- 
nated in such warrant for such official property and things as were 
in the custody of the oflacer whose term of office expired or whose 
office became vacant, or of which he was the legal custodian, and 
seize and bring them before the judge issuing such warrant. 

(c) When any such property or things are brought before the 
judge by virtue of such warrant, he shall inquire whether the same 
pertain to such office, and if it thereupon appears that they pertain 
thereto he shall order their delivery to the complainant. 

This chapiter is a revision and consolidation of several statutes 
upon the same subject but heretofore found in connection with 
sections imposing duties on different officials. 

'Chapter 187. Section 496h. No more than one such graded 
school in any village, shall receive state aid as herein provided, nor 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 17 

shall any graded school in any incorporated city participate in said 
state aid. 

Officers of some state graded school districts may be interested in 
this chapter. 

Chapter 189. Section 516m. Whenever the town board of super- 
visors of any town in which the township system of school govern- 
ment has been abolished shall have failed to perform the duties 
imposed upon them by section 516, and the amount of certificates 
of indebtedness of such abolished township system has never been 
apportioned to the different districts comprising the territory of 
such abolished township system, and remains unpaid, and the terri- 
tory comprising such township system shall have been divided into 
more than one town or other municipality, the county clerk of the 
county in which such territory is situated on presentation to and 
filing with him of any unpaid outstanding certificates of indebted- 
ness of such abolished system of township school government shall 
apportion the amount of such unpaid certificates, together with the 
accrued interest thereon on all the taxable real estate of the terri- 
tory comprising such abolished township system according to the 
assessed valuation thereof for the year in which such township sys- 
tem was abolished, and levy upon each town or municipality com- 
prising such territory its just and equal share thereof and include 
the same in the certificate of taxes certified to the clerk of such 
town or other municipality and charged to such town or municipal- 
ity. The tax so levied shall be collected and returned to the county 
treasurer the same as county taxes are collected and returned. After 
such tax shall have been so levied, collected and returned to the 
county, the county clerk shall give to the owner of any such certifi- 
cate or certificates of indebtedness, an order on the county treas- 
urer for the amount levied for such certificate or certificates, and 
the treasurer shall pay the same out of the general fund of said 
county. 

The township system was abolished by chapter 388 Laws of 1911. 

Chapter 189 requires that indebtedness, values of school proper- 
ties, money on hand, etc., at the time any town was divided into inde- 
pendent districts be apportioned. This statute gives an opportunity 
at this time to adjust claims and differences. If any adjustments 
are to be made steps to do so must be taken at once before a statute 
of limitations takes effect. 

Chapter 224. Section 553q — 2. It shall be the duty of such agri- 
cultural representative under the direction and supervision of the 
special committee on agriculture: 

(a) To advise and consult with individuals in reference to farm- 
ing methods; 

(b) To aid in the development and improvement of agriculture 
and country life conditions; 

(c) To offer courses of instruction to young people and adults; 



18 SCHOOL, LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

(d) To aid in the formation of cooperative enterprises; 

(e) To promote better business methods among farmers; 

(f) To give such assistance as possible in the development of 
agricultural teaching in the schools of the county; 

(g) To do other work designed to promote the agricultural or 
rural development of the county; 

(h) To keep in touch with all agencies in the state and elsewhere 
that will enable him to utilize the most improved knowledge in the 
furtherance of his work; 

(i) To make an annual report of his activities to the county 
board. 

Section 553q — 3. For the partial maintenance of agricultural 
development of such county under the supervision of such agricul- 
tural representative, authority is hereby given the county board to 
raise, by tax levy or otherwise, for periods of not less than two 
years each, such moneys as may be deemed sufficient to cover the 
share of the county in such work. In no case shall the amount 
appropriated by the county for this work be less than one thousand 
dollars annually. Such moneys shall be disbursed by the county 
treasurer only upon orders of the county clerk which sha^l have 
been approved by the special committee on agriculture. 

Section 553q — 5. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1917, 
this work shall be organized in not to exceed twenty-five counties 
of the state and for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1918 and for 
each year thereafter in not to exceed twenty-eight counties of the 
state. 

(Section 20.40) (4) Annually, on July first, twenty thousand 
five hundred dollars; annually, for four years from July 1, 1913, 
one thousand dollars; annually, for five years from July 1, 1913, 
two thousand dollars; on July 1, 1915, eleven thousand dollars; on 
July 1, 1916, six .thousand dollars, on July 1, 1917, twenty-five 
thousand dollars and annually, beginning July 1, 1918, twenty- 
eight thousand dollars, to meet the appropriations from the uni- 
versity fund income made by paragraphs (c), (d), (e), (h), (i) 
and (j) of subsection (3) of section 20.41. 

(Section 20.41) (3) (e) On July 1, 1917, twenty-five thousand 
dollars, and annually, beginning July 1, 1918, twenty-eight thous- 
and dollars, for county agricultural development as- provided in 
sections 553q — 1 to 553p — 8, inclusive. 

Section 2. A new section is added to the statutes to read: Sec- 
tion 55 3q — ^6m. The special committee on agriculture shall con- 
sist of the chairman of the county board of supervisors, the county 
superintendent or superintendents of schools, and the president of 
the training school board, except that in counties having no train- 
ing school, the last member of such committee shall be selected by 
the county board of supervisors. 

Chapter 232. Section 411 — 1. The county board of any county 
within which a state normal school is not located, is hereby au- 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 19 

thorized to appropriate money for the organization, equipment, and 
maintenance of a county training school for teachers of common 
schools, and for the erection of suitable school buildings therefor. 
Section 411 — la. In case any county board of supei'visors votes 
to appropriate money and erect a suitable school building for the 
use of the county training school for teachers, special state aid, 
partially to defray the cost of erecting such school building, shall 
be granted to counties maintaining county training schools, as fol- 
lows: 

(1) All plans for the erection of such school buildings shall be 
submitted to the state superintendent for his approval before the 
construction of the building shall be commenced, and no state aid 
shall be granted unless he has approved the plans thus submitted. 

(2) Upon the completion of the building, the county board of 
supervisors, through the proper officers, shall notify the state super- 
intendent that the school building is completed and shall submit 
to him a certified statement of the actual cost of the erection of 
the building. 

(3) If he shall be satisfied that the building has been erected 
substantially in accordance with the plans submitted, it shall be 
his duty to certify to the secretary of state aid in favor of the 
county erecting the building in an amount equal to one-fourth the 
cost of the erection of the building, provided that not more than 
three thousand dollars shall be paid as such aid to any one county, 
and provided, further, that he shall not certify aid for more than 
two counties in any one school year. . 

(4) The secretary of state, on receipt of such certificate, shall 
draw his warrant on the state treasurer, in favor of the treasurer 
of the county, which shall be paid by the state treasurer. 

This is of interest to county boards of supervisors inasmuch as it 
offers a sum not to exceed $3,000 to be paid directly from the treas- 
ury to aid in the erection of buildings for county teachers' training 
schools. 

'Chapter 234. Section 7 7 6. (1) To vote to raise money for the 
repair and building of roads or bridges, or either; for the support 
of the poor and defraying all other charges and expenses of the 
town; provided, however, that the total taxes levied in any town 
for any one year for all town purposes, exclusive of school taxes 
and liabilities heretofore lawfully incurred, shall not exceed in the 
whole, one per centum of the total assessed valuation of such town 
for the preceding year, as equalized by the town board of equaliza- 
tion, unless a larger sum is needed for the building or repairing of 
highways or bridges, in which case the electors may vote and the 
proper authorities may levy, not to exceed one-fourth of one per 
centum in addition to the aforesaid one per centum; provided, 
further, that not exceeding two per centum additional may be levied 
for school purposes when under the township system of school gov- 
ernment. Provided, that in a town having income taxes in its 



20 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

treasury the same may be expended for town anl scliool purposes, 
regardless of the foregoing limitation. 

The township system of school government was abolished by the 
legislature of 1911. 

Chapter 236. Section 925 — 116m. 1. The board of school di- 
rectors in any city of the first class is hereby authorized to provide 
for the transportation in comfortable and convenient vehicles to 
and from their homes daily on school days to such schoolhouses or 
rooms as are or may be set apart by said board of school directors 
for the education of such children, of crippled children and chil- 
dren who are suffering from physical or mental disabilities who are 
of school age and living in said city and who may desire to attend 
school. 

2. Said board of school directors shall have power to provide 
lunches, under such terms and conditions as said board shall de- 
termine, for said crippled or mentally or physically disabled chil- 
dren while attending such school. 

Chapter 237. Section 462. (First paragraph) It shall be the 
duty of the district clerk, between the tenth and twenty -fifth days 
of July in each year, excepting in cities of the first class where the 
school census shall be taken between March first and June first of 
each year, to make and transmit to the county or city superintend- 
ent, a w^ritten report bearing date as of the thirtieth day of June, 
or the thirtieth day of May in cities of the first class, of such year, 
signed by him and verified by his affidavit, showing: 

First, The number, names and ages of children, male and female 
designated separately, over the age of four and under the age of 
twenty years residing in the district, and the names of their par- 
ents, guardians or other persons with whom such children resided, 
respectively, on the last day of May or June preceding. But no 
such children residing in, held or cared for at any charitable or 
penal institution of this state shall be included in such enumera- 
tion or report; and whenever the state superintendent shall receive 
information that any such children have been enumerated in the 
school census of any school district included in the reports made 
to him, on the basis of which apportionment of money from the 
school fund income is made, he may require from the district clerk 
or the secretary of the board of education of said district a verified 
statement of the whole number of children of school age residing 
in the district not excluded by the provisions of this section, in such 
form and manner as the said superintendent may prescribe. Un- 
less the certificate herein provided for shall be made no monej 
shall be apportioned for the benefit of said school district. 

(20.24) (4) Annually, within thirty days after the tenth day oJ 
December, the state superintendent shall ascertain an aggregate 
amount consisting of (a) all moneys in the common school fund 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 21 

income received prior to tlie first day of December in tlie same year, 
(b) ttie two hundred thousand dollars appropriated thereto from 
the general fund by section 20.25 of the statutes, (c) all moneys 
thereafter to accrue thereto from the state tax levied in the same 
year by section 20.25 of the statutes, including interest charges 
accruing thereon or to be collected therewith as special charges 
Prom the total of items (b) and (c) he shall deduct the estimated 
total of all appropriations made therefrom by section 20.25. The 
remainders of items (b) and (c), together with all of item (a), he 
shall apportion among the several counties, and the towns, villages, 
and cities therein, except as prescribed in subsection ( 5 ) , in pro 
portion to the number of children resident therein between the 
ags of four and twenty years, as shown by the reports made to the 
state superintendent for the year preceding, ending June thirtietb 
or May thirtieth as the case may be. 

This changes the time for taking the school census in cities of the 
first class only. It also changes the time when the state superintend- 
ent may certify the annual apportionment to towns, villages and 
cities. 

Chapter 260. Section 439b. 2. When of his personal know- 
ledge, or by report or complaint from any resident of the city, or by 
report or complaint as provided herein, a truant officer believes 
that any child is unlawfully and habitually absent from elementary 
school, continuation school, or any other school which the minor is 
by law compelled to attend, provided the minor is not otherwise re- 
ceiving instruction as provided in section 43 9a as amended, he 
shall immediately investigate and render all service in his power, 
to compel such child to attend some public, parochial or private 
school which the person having control of the child shall designate, 
or if over fourteen and under sixteen years of age to attend school 
or become regularly employed at home or elsewhere, and upon fail- 
ure he shall serve a written notice as required in section 4 of this 
act and proceed as hereinafter provided against the person having 
charge of such child. And in all towns and villages the sheriff of 
the county, his undersheriff and deputies shall be the truant offi- 
cers, and it shall be the duty of all truant officers named in this 
section to enforce the provisions of this act as provided herein. 

Gives additional powers to truant officers and should be studied by 
school boards. 

"Chapter 269. Section 450e. 1. After September 1, 1919, every 
person to obtain any form of a license or certificate to teach in any 
public school in this state shall have completed at least two years 
of work in a high school having a four-year course of study, or the 
full and fair equivalent of such work, and in addition thereto shall 
have completed at least one year of instruction and training pre- 
paratory to the work of teaching; after September 1, 1921, every 



22 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 191? 

person to obtain any form of a license or certificate to teach in any- 
public ischool in the state shall have completed a four-year high 
school course of study, or a full and fair equivalent thereof, and 
in addition thereto shall have completed at least one year of in- 
struction and training preparatory to the work of teaching. Pro- 
vided that none of the restrictions mentioned in this subsection 
shall apply to any person who has had prior to September 1, 1919, 
at least one year's experience in teaching in a public school, or who 
holds an unexpired license or teacher',s certificate. Any person to 
obtain any form of license to teach in any public school in any city 
or county of the state shall meet all other legal requirements for 
teachers' certificates. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed 
to limit the powers conferred by law upon the state board of exam- 
iners, and upon the state superintendent in the issuance of state 
licenses and state certificates, upon the recommendation of the state 
board of examiners or upon the state superintendent in the issuance 
of state licenses and state certificates authorized by law. 

2. The additional year of instruction and training beyond high 
school graduation, or its equivalent may be obtained at a Wiscon- 
sin state normal school, a county training school for teachers, a 
Wisconsin high school offering a course legally authorized and es- 
tablished for the training of teachers, or in any public school in 
rank above high school offering a course for the training of teach- 
ers equivalent to that offered in the state normal schools of Wis- 
consin. 

3. The one year of additional instruction required in this section 
shall include a review of the branches required by law to be taught 
in the common schools of the state, a study of the manual of the 
course of study, school management, and at least ten weeks each 
of observation and practice teaching, and such other studies as may 
be required by the state superintendent of public instruction. 

4. Whenever the supply of legally qualified teachers in any county 
has been exhausted, the county or city superintendent, with the 
approval of the state superintendent, may issue certificates upon 
examination to as many persons, who do not have the foregoing 
qualifications, as are necessary to supply the schools in said county, 

Is of importance to persons who are preparing themselves for 
teaching and should receive attention by teachers and school officers. 

Chapter 284. 20.24 (5) (b) No apportionment shall be made to 
any city, village or town for any school district therein for any 
year during which such district shall not have maintained a 
common school taught by a qualified teacher, at a salary of not less 
than forty-five dollars per month, for at least eight months; unless 
the state superintendent shall be satisfied that such school was 
maintained and so taught for at least three months, and the failure 
to maintain and so teach it for eight months was occasioned by 
some extraordinary cause not arising from intention or neglect on 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 23 

the part of the responsible officers. Time spent by the teacher or 
teachers of such district in attendance upon an institute in the 
county, shown by due reports to have been allowed by the district 
board without deduction from such teacher's wages shall be counted 
as part of such eight months. 

Fixes the minimum wage of teachers at $45 per month. It will 
become the duty of school district boards to amend any contracts in 
accordance with this law when such contracts already are based upon 
the former minimum wage of |40 per month. 

Chapter 285. Section 439a. 1. Any person having under his 
control any child between the ages of seven and fourteen years, or 
any child between the ages of fourteen and sixteen years not regu- 
larly and lawfully employed in any useful employment or service at 
home or elsewhere, shall cause such child to be enrolled in and to 
attend some public, parochial or private school regularly (regular 
attendance for the purpose of this statute shall be an attendance 
of twenty days in each school month, unless the child can furnish 
some legal excuse), in cities of the first class during the full period 
and hours of the calendar year (religious holidays excepted) that 
the public, parochial or private school in which such child is en- 
rolled may be in session; in all other cities not less than eight 
school months; and in towns and villages not less than six school 
months in each year, and all children subject to the provisions of 
this act shall be enrolled in some public, parochial or private school 
within one school month after the commencement of the school 
term in the district in which such children reside, except that in 
cities of the first class such children shall be enrolled at the time 
of the opening of the school which they will attend (and the word 
"term," for the purposes of this act, shall be construed to mean the 
entire time that school is maintained during the school year) ; pro- 
vided that this section shall not apply to any child not in proper 
physical or mental condition to attend school, who shall present the 
certificate of a reputable physician in general practice to that ef- 
fect, nor to any child who lives in country districts more than two 
miles by the nearest traveled road from the schoolhouse in the dis- 
trict where such child resides, except that children between the ages 
of nine and fourteen living between two and three miles from school 
by the nearest traveled road shall attend school regularly at least 
sixty days during the year; provided that if transportation is furn- 
ished by the district this exemption as to distance shall not apply, nor 
shall this section apply to any child who shall have completed the 
course of study for the common schools of this state or the first 
eight grades of work as taught in state graded or other graded 
schools of Wisconsin, and can furnish the proper diploma, certifi- 
cate, or credential showing that he has completed, one of said 
courses of study, or its equivalent. Instruction during the required 
period elsewhere than at school, by a teacher or instructor selected 
by the person having control of such child shall be equivalent to 



24 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

scliool attendance, provided that such instruction received else- 
where than in school be at least substantially equivalent to instruc- 
tion given to children of like ages in the public, parochial or priv- 
ate school where such children reside. Any person who shall vio- 
late the provisions of this section shall upon conviction thereof, be 
punished by a fine of not less than five dollars nor more than fifty 
dollars, together with costs of prosecution, or by imprisonment in 
the county jail not exceeding three months, or by both such fine 
and imprisonment in the discretion of the court, for each offense. 
It shall be the duty of the district attorney and his assistants to 
prosecute in the name of the state all violations of the provisions 
of this section. Any person who shall be proceeded against under 
the provisions of this section may prove in defense that he is unable 
to compel the child under his control to attend school or to work, 
and he shall be thereupon discharged from liability, and such child 
shall be proceeded against as incorrigible, or otherwise, according 
to law, and in case of commitment, if the parents or person having 
control of such child desire it, such child shall be committed to a 
school or association controlled by persons of the same religious 
faith as such child, which is willing and able to receive and main- 
tain it without compensation from the public treasury. When in 
any proceedings under this section there is any doubt as to the age 
of any child, a verified baptismal certificate or a duly attested birth 
certificate shall be produced and filed in court. In case such cer- 
tificates cannot be secured, upon proof of such fact, the record of 
age stated in the first school enrollment of such child or first school 
enrollment to be found shall be admissible as evidence thereof. 

2. Prosecutions for violation of this section may also be brought 
in the juvenile court in and for the county in which such violations 
occur, and said court is hereby granted full and concurrent juris- 
diction thereof. 

XJhapter 28 5. Teachers, parents, school officers, and truant offi- 
cers should become familiar with the provisions of this act. It re- 
quires the attendance of children between 9 and 14 years of age in 
certain cases. It is the duty of the Industrial commission to con- 
sider violations. 

Chapter 317. Section 560g. Every school district not composed- 
wholly or in part of an incorporated village or city, and any school 
district in which all of the school buildings are located outside the 
corporate limits of any city or village, which shall have maintained 
a school or schools for nine months the previous year, provided a 
suitable school building, or buildings, and outbuildings, needful 
apparatus, supplementary readers, and installed an adequate sys- 
tem of ventilation, and done efficient work, shall, for the purposes 
of this act, be deemed to have maintained a rural school or schools 
of the first class, provided that state graded schools organized and 
maintained under section 49 6d of the statutes shall not be consid- 
ered rural schools of the first class. 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN. 1917 25 

Section 560h. Any district maintaining a rural school or schools 
of the second class shall be entitled to a share in all state and 
county school moneys. Any district maintaining a rural school or 
schools of the first class shall be entitled, in addition to the moneys 
specified for rural schools of the second class, to special state aid 
to the amount of fifty dollars annually, provided the district has 
fully complied with the provisions of sections 560g, 5601, 560j, 560k, 
and 5601. 

Section 5601. To each district which shall comply with all the 
provisions of sections 560g, 560h, 560i, 560j, and 560k, and whose 
application for aid shall have been approved by him, the state sup- 
erintendent shall apportion the sum of fifty dollars for each rural 
school of the first class maintained by said district which shall be 
paid in the same manner as other forms of special state aid are 
now paid. 

This chapter amends sections 560g, 5 6 Oh, 560i and restores the 
fifty dollar per year special aid law for certain schools under certain 
conditions mentioned in section 2. It must also be understood that 
it is possible for a school district to come under this statute one 
year and fail the next owing to the fact that the teaching has not 
been efficient, or that nine months of school has not been maintained. 
What shall be considered as constituting a first-class rural school 
will likely be mentioned in a special leaflet. 

X;3hapter 340. Section 515g. 1. The school board of any school 
district or the board of education of any city. In addition to the 
powers now conferred upon them by law, may provide for the ex- 
change of any teacher employed by such board for a teacher of any 
school district of any other state. No such exchange shall be for 
a longer period than one year and any teacher of this state so ex- 
changed shall be deemed to have taught during said period in the 
school district in which he or she was employed at the time the ex- 
change was made. 

2. Any teacher from another state, taking the place of a Wiscon- 
sin teacher in accordance with the provisions of subsection 1 of this 
section, shall be assessed, for the benefit of the Wisconsin teachers' 
insurance and retirement fund, the full amount which would other- 
wise have been assessed against the Wisconsin teacher so exchanged. 
Such assessment shall be credited to the Wisconsin teacher ex- 
changed in accordance with the provisions of subsection 1 of this 
section. 

This is a peculiar law. It may be of some interest to venturesome 
teachers who desire a change of environment. 

Chapter 343. 20.32. (1) (c) For each such pupil residing 
within the state but not within the district or city maintaining the 
day school, who finds it necessary to pay for board or transporta- 
tion, or both, in or to such district or city, in order to attend such 
school, and who while so boarding or being transported attends 



26 SCHOOL, LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

the day school for a period of at least nine months, an additional 
one hundred twenty-five dollars; provided such expense for board 
or transportation, or both, is not borne by the parent or guardian 
of such child. 

(20.32) (3) Such moneys shall be carried as special funds for 
each such school. The school board or board of education may use 
such part thereof as it shall find necessary, for board and transpor- 
tation of pupils as specified in paragraph (c) of subsection (1), or 
in payment for medical examination or treatment of any pupil in 
such day school in case the parent or guardian is financially unable 
to pay for such services; and the state aid for day schools for the 
blind may be applied in part for instruction in music and manual 
training, and for material and printing in connection with the work 
of the school. Any surplus at the end of the year shall remain 
available until expended; provided, in case any school board or 
board of education shall discontinue such day school, any balance 
remaining in said fund after the payment of the expense of main- 
taining such day school shall be returned to the state treasurer. 

Section 579m. 1. Any parent or guardian having under his con- 
trol a deaf or blind child between the ages of six and eighteen 
years who is incapacitated for attending a common school, shall 
cause such child to attend some public, private, parochial, or state 
school established for the instruction and education of the deaf or 
blind, for a period of at least eight months during each school year, 
provided this shall not apply to any child over sixteen years of age 
who shall have completed the eighth grade or who shall be regu- 
larly employed in a gainful occupation. 

Chapter 344. Section 560g — 1. 1. If any school district not 
composed wholly or in part of an incorporated village or city, or 
any school district in which all of the school buildings are located 
outside the corporate limits of any city or village shall have re- 
tained or shall hereafter retain any teacher after the first year, such 
teacher shall be entitled to receive state aid as follows, provided 
such teacher is not employed in a graded school of two or more de- 
partments or in a high school in such district: if such teacher shall 
be retained for and shall have successfully taught such school dur- 
ing a second year, two dollars per month for each month of such 
year during which the school maintained in such district is taught 
by such teacher; if for a third year, four dollars for each such 
month; and if for a fourth or any succeeding year, eight dollars, 
for each such month. 

2. If any school district not composed wholly or in part of an incor- 
porated village or city, or any school district in which all of the school 
buildings are located outside the corporate limits of any city or 
village in which the school shall have been successfully taught for 
the whole or part of any year by a teacher who is a graduate from 
a rural school course of two years beyond high school graduation 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 27 

in any normal school or county training school of this state, or 
equivalent thereof, such teacher shall be entitled to special state 
aid of ten dollars for each month during which such school is taught 
by such teacher. For each succeeding year that such teacher shall 
be retained and shall continue to teach such school successfully, he or 
she shall be entitled to special state aid in the sum of fifteen dollars 
for each such month, provided that no aid under this subsection shall 
be paid to any teacher employed by such district in a graded school 
of two or more departments or in a high school maintained by such 
district. Any person receiving state aid under the provisions of 
this subsection shall not be entitled to state aid under the provi- 
sions of subsection 1 of this section. 

6. If upon the indorsement of the county or district superintend- 
ent upon an application for state aid or upon an appeal therefrom 
the state superintendent shall be satisfied that such teacher is en- 
titled to state aid, he shall approve said application and at the close 
of the school year certify to the secretary of state the name of the 
teacher and the amount due such teacher under the provisions of 
this section stating whether the claim is allowed under subsection 
1 or subsection 2 of this section. The secretary of state shall 
thereupon draw his warrant upon the state treasurer for the amount 
of such claim in favor of the said teacher. The state treasurer shall 
mail a draft in favor of each such teacher to the county or district 
superintendent in whose district the teacher has taught. Such 
county or district superintendent shall forthwith transmit such 
draft to the teacher entitled thereto. 

7. It shall be the duty of each county or district superintendent 
to keep a complete record of all applications approved by him show- 
ing separtely the claims allowed under subsection 1 and under sub- 
section 2 of this section, and of all payments made under the pro- 
visions of this section showing the name of the teacher, the length 
of time such teacher has taught, the district in which he or she has 
taught, and the school or schools where such teacher received his 
training. The state superintendent of public instruction shall in- 
clude in his reports a statement of the moneys disbursed under the 
provisions of this section. 

This chapter amends subsections 1, 2, 6 and 7 of section 560g— 1. 
This law is commonly known as the two, four, eight dollar law. The 
apportionment to th« rural school teachers is made directly from 
the state treasury to the county superintendents in behalf of the 
teachers. It will be noted that the teacher who receives this special 
aid must be employed in a school, the buildings of which are located 
outside the corporate limits of a village or city and furthermore 
that the aid is not given to any teacher employed in a state graded 
school or a high school under any conditions. 

Chapter 359. Section 388. Any student who shall have been a 

resident of the state for one year next preceding his first admission 

to the university, or any student whose parents have been bona 

''fide residents of this state for one year next preceding the begin- 



28 SCHOOL, LAWS OP WISCONSIN, 1917 

ning of any semester for which such student enters the university, 
shall be entitled to exemption from fees for tuition, but not from 
incidental fees in the university. Any student who shall not have 
been a resident of the state for one year next preceding his first ad- 
mission to the university, except as above provided, shall not be 
exempt from the payment of the tuition fees until he shall have at- 
tended the university for four academic years; but if he shall have 
attended the university for one academic year and the next three 
years shall have been spent as a resident of this state; or if he 
shall have attended the university for two academic years and the 
next two years shall have been spent as a resident of this state; or 
if he shall have attended the university for three academic years 
and the next year shall have been spent as a resident of this state, 
he shall be entitled to exemption from payment of the tuition fees 
upon reentering the university. The regents shall charge tuition 
at the rate of one hundred and twenty-four dollars per school year 
for any student who shall not have been exempted by any of the 
provisions of this section, and may prescribe rates of tuition for 
teaching extra studies, and for students in the university extension, 
and summer session divisions. However, the regents of the uni- 
versity may remit either in whole or in part tuition, but not inci- 
dental fees, to a number of needy and worthy nonresident students, 
not exceeding eight per cent of the number of nonresident students 
registered in the preceding year, upon the basis of merit, to be shown 
by suitable tests, examinations or scholastic records and continued 
high standards of scholastic attainment. 

Chapter 388. Section 3327a. All contracts involving one hun- 
dred dollars or more hereafter made or let for the performance of 
any work or labor or furnishing any materials when the same per- 
tains to or is for or in or about any public building, public improve- 
ment, public road, alley or highway, or any other public work of 
whatsoever kind of the state, or of any county, city, village, town, 
school district, or of any public board or body, shall contain a pro- 
vision for the payment by the contractor of all claims for such work 
and labor performed and materials furnished, and no such contract 
shall hereafter be made or let unless the contractor shall give a 
good and sufficient bond, the penalty of which shall not be less than 
the contract price, conditioned for the faithful performance of the 
contract, and the payment to each and every person or party en- 
titled thereto of all the claims for work or labor performed, and 
materials furnished for or in or about or under such contract, such 
bond in the case of the state to be approved by the governor, of a 
county by its district attorney, of a city or village by its attorney, 
if it has one, and if not, then by the mayor or president, respec- 
tively, thereof, of a town by its chairman, of a school district by the 
director or president of the school board, and in case of any other 
public board or body by the presiding officer thereof. No assign- 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 29 

ment, modification or change of the contract, or change in the work 
covered thereby, nor any extension of time for completion of the 
contract shall release the sureties on said bond. 

Any party in interest may, within one year after the completion 
and acceptance of said contract, maintain an action in his own name 
against such contractor and the sureties upon such bond required 
by this section for the recovery of any damages he may have sus- 
tained by reason of the failure, refusal or neglect of said contractor 
to comply with the aforesaid terms and conditions of said contract 
or any of the terms and conditions of the contract between said con- 
tractor and subcontractors. If the amount realized on said bond 
be insufficient to satisfy all of the claims of the parties in interest 
in full, such amount shall be distributed among said parties pro 
rata. 

This chapter is of interest to all parties entering into contracts for 
public buildings. School boards must take notice of its provisions. 

"Chapter 403. Section 454a. 1. All persons who apply to the 
state board of examiners for a state license on the basis of work 
done in, or graduation from, an institution located outside the state 
of Wisconsin, shall pay a fee of one dollar for the examination of 
their papers, records, and credentials. All such persons, before re- 
ceiving a state certificate, shall pay an additional fee of one dollar 
before a state certificate shall be issued. 

2. The fee for the examination of the papers by the state board 
of examiners, and the fee for the issuance of a state certificate, shall 
be payable to the state superintendent of public instruction. 

Section 20.23. There is appropriated from the general fund to 
the state board of teachers' examiners, annually, beginning July 1, 
1917, one thousand dollars, for the execution of its functions. All 
moneys received by each and every person for or in behalf of said 
superintendent under the provisions of section 454a shall be paid 
within one week after receipt into the general fund, and are appro- 
priated therefrom and added to this appropriation. Of this there 
is allotted to each member of said board a per diem of five dollars 
per day for time actually and necessarily spent in going to, hold- 
ing, and returning from examinations, and his actual and necessary 
traveling expenses incurred in the discharge of his official duties. 

This chapter creates a new section requiring that all persons who 
apply to the State Board of Examiners for a state license on the 
basis of work done in, or graduation from, an institution located 
outside the state of Wisconsin, shall pay a fee of one dollar for the 
examination of their papers, records and credentials. Such persons 
receiving a state license are qualified legally to teach in the public 
schools of this state for one year, which may be renewed for a 
second year upon presentation of evidence of satisfactory experience. 
At the close of two years of successful teaching, on a license, in the 
public schools of this state, a life state certificate may be issued, 
for which an additional fee of one dollar is charged. 



30 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN. 1917 



Cliapter 405. Section 411 — 4. The state superintendent shall 
give such information and assistance as may seem necessary in or- 
ganizing and maintaining such training schools. He shall prescribe 
the course of study to be pursued; shall have the general supervi- 
sion of all schools established under this section; shall from time 
to time inspect the same, make such recommendations relating to 
their management as he may deem necessary, and make such re- 
ports thereon as shall give full information concerning their num- 
ber, character, and efficiency; provided, that he shall not place upon 
the said list more than thirty-five schools. 

(20.31) (2) (a) The state superintendent shall keep a list of 
not more than thirty-five of such training schools, whose course of 
study and the qualifications of whose teachers have, on application, 
been approved by him; and any such training school once entered 
on such list may remain listed and be entitled to state aid so long 
as the scope and character of its work are maintained in such man- 
ner as to meet his approval. 

Chapter 412. Section 391. 1. The board of regents of the state 
university is hereby authorized to establish and to maintain, when 
sufficient funds are available, a training school for public service. 
Such school shall be a professional school and shall be devoted to 
practical training for the administrative service of the state of Wis- 
consin or of any county or municipality therein, or of civic organi- 
zations. 

2. Persons who have satisfactorily completed the work required 
in the training school for public service shall, upon graduation, re- 
ceive a proper university degree and a diploma in public adminis- 
tration stating the particular character of their training. No per- 
son shall receive such diploma unless at least one-third of his total 
credits in such school shall be for actual work in municipal, county, 
or state departments or in quasi-public work and unless he shall 
have submitted a thesis dealing with an actual problem of munici- 
pal, county or state service based on actual service in or contact 
with such service and approved by the head of the department of 
such municipality, county or state with which such problem is prin- 
cipally concerned. 

3. Any member of the faculty of the university of Wisconsin may 
be required, under rules prescribed by the regents, to give instruc- 
tion in such school. 

4. Such school shall provide adequate supplementary training 
for persons now in county, municipal or state service. 

Chapter 416. Section 553p — 14. 1. The said board shall es- 
tablish and maintain the necessary courses for the thorough in- 
struction and training of teachers in the principles and practice of 
the industrial arts and of home economics and household arts. Such 
courses shall include such instruction in the comprehension and 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 31 

use of the English language, in mathematics, science, history, liter- 
ature, economics, and sociology, with special reference to the bear- 
ing of such instruction upon the teaching of the industrial arts and 
of home economics and household arts, as shall give not only tech- 
nical instruction and training for the vocation of teaching but also 
the instruction needed for good citizenship and for a broad and 
sympathetic knowledge and appreciation of the reciprocal rights, 
duties, and relations of the individual, the state, and society and of 
the conditions for results in production and in the distribution of 
the products of industry which are essential to give the greatest 
efBjCiency and the largest measure of justice to every individual. 

2. Such courses shall be established as four-year courses. Stu- 
dents who shall satisfactorily complete such courses shall receive 
from the Stout Institute, under the seal of the institute, the degree 
of bachelor of science in industrial arts and in home economics and 
household arts. 

This chapter enlarges the courses of study at Stout Institute, Me- 
nomonie, gives the privilege of granting the degree of Bachelor of 
Science. This institute is by this act of the legislature recognized 
as being on an equal footing with other technical schools and col- 
leges in this and other states. 

Chapter 427. Section 48 6t. The board of education of any city, 
however .organized, or the district board of any school district may 
provide lunches for children attending the public schools at a price 
to cover the cost of the food, provided that indigent children or 
children of poor parents may receive such lunches at such a price 
and under such conditions as the board of education or the district 
board may determine; provided, further, that the conditions under 
which, and the pupils to whom, such food is furnished at less than 
cost, shall not be disclosed to any other pupils. 

This chapter authorizes boards of education and district boards to 
provide lunches for school children and restricts the price that may 
be charged therefor. The purpose of this law is to keep the children 
in such physical condition that they may be able to do satisfactory 
school work. School work, like any other work, requires that the 
worker shall be well fed and nourished. 

Chapter 43 6. Section 553p — 4. 3. The rate of tax levied for the 
purposes of sections 553p — 1 to 553p — 15, inclusive, in any town, 
village or city shall not in any one year exceed three-fourths mill 
for the maintenance of all schools created under said sections. 

Sections 553p — 1 to 553p — 15 relate to industrial and continua- 
tion schools maintained under the supervision of the State Industrial 
board. The former aid was one-half mill on the dollar. This in- 
creases the appropriation 50%. 

X;!hapter 438. Section 427. 1. Special meetings shall be called 
by the clerk, or in his absence by the director or treasurer, on the 



3.2 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

written request of five legal voters of the district, and notices 
thereof specifying particularly the business to be transacted shall 
be posted in the manner prescribed for calling the annual meeting; 
and the electors when lawfully assembled at a special meeting shall 
have power to transact the same business as at the first or the an- 
nual meeting, except the election of officers, voting a tax to com- 
pensate the clerk and authorizing a change in textbooks. But no 
more than two such meetings to consider the same subject shall be 
held in the district in the same school year. No tax or loan or debt 
shall be voted at a special meeting unless three-fourths of the legal 
voters shall have been notified either personally or by a written 
notice left at their places of residence, stating the time, place and 
objects of the meeting, and specifying the amount proposed to be 
voted, at least six days before the time appointed therefor, exclus- 
ive of the day on which the meeting is to be held. 

2. If the school district includes within its boundaries all or part 
of a city or an incorporated village, it shall be lawful to give notice 
of special or annual school meetings by publication in a newspaper, 
if one be regularly published in the city or village. Such notice 
shall be printed in two issues one week apart, the last of which 
shall be published and mailed not more than eight days and not 
less than one day before the day the election is to be held, such day 
not to be counted. The special meeting shall be held at the hour 
fixed in the notice, but if no hour is fixed the meeting shall be held 
at eight o'clock in the afternoon. Publication of notice does not 
avoid posting the notices as required by statutes in force. It shall 
also be lawful for the school board to pay the cost of publication at 
legal rates from the district treasury.] 

3. If a new district is created, the first meeting of the electors as 
provided by law shall be deemed an annual meeting. 

This chapter amends section 427 and provides that two special 
school meetings to consider the same subject may be held during the 
year. Heretofore the statute restricted the electors to one special 
meeting. It is also provided in this chapter that in cases where the 
school district embraces a village or city, the notice of special meet- 
ings or annual meetings may be given by publication. It is the inten- 
tion of this part of the law to avoid the necessity for serving notices 
personally or by copies left at places of residence upon at least three- 
fourths of the electors of these usually heavily populated districts 
when it is possible to give such notices in accordance with the above 
statutory provisions. 

Chapter 441. Section 430 — 1. 1. It shall be the duty of the 
school board of any consolidated rural school district formed in ac- 
cordance with the provisions of sections 49 6 — 1 to 49 6 — 8, to pro- 
vide transportation to and from such consolidated school for the en- 
tire school year for all children between the ages of six and sixteen 
in the district residing more than two miles from such consolidated 
school. 

2. It shall be lawful for the electors of any school district to au- 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 33 

thorize the district board to provide transportation to and from 
scliool for any or all of the children of school age residing in the dis- 
trict for whom transportation is not required by law. In any school 
district where the electors have failed or refused to provide transpor- 
tation for children living more than two miles from the school in the 
home district and from a school in an adjoining district, the parent 
or guardian of any such child may transport him to school in the 
home district or to a school in an adjoining district, and shall be 
paid for such services by the district in which he resides at the rate 
of twenty cents per day for each child so transported, provided the 
child while being so transported attended school for not less than 
five months. In all such cases the transportation must be safe, com- 
fortable and convenient. The district shall be reimbursed ten cents 
per day for each such child who while being transported attended 
school for at least five months. The aid shall be paid by the state as 
provided in sections 430 — 5, 430 — 6 and 430 — 9, of tlie stautes. 

3. It shall be the duty of the school board of any district in which 
the electors have voted to suspend all of tlie schools in the district 
to provide for the payment of the tuition of all children of school 
age residing in the district who desire to attend school in some ad- 
joining district or districts during such time as the district school 
is suspended, and to provide transportation to and from school for 
a period of at least six months during the school year or for such 
time as the district school is suspended, for all children between the 
ages of six and sixteen residing more than one mile from the nearest 
scliool. 

Section 430 — 2. In all cases where the electors of any district 
at the annual meeting or at a subsequent special meeting prior to 
the third Monday of November fail to levy a tax sufficient to pay for 
the tuition or transportation or both required by law, or authorized 
by the electors, the school board, on or before the Wednesday next 
following the said third Monday in November, shall determine the 
sum necessary to pay for tuition or transportation, or both, as the 
case may be, and the district clerk shall at once certify to the town 
or village clerk the amount so fixed and when so certified to the 
town or village clerk such amount shall be levied and collected as 
other district taxes are now levied and collected. 

Section 430 — 3. It shall be the duty of the board of any school 
district, when authorized by the electors or required by law to pro- 
vide transportation, to enter into written contracts in the name of 
the district with the parents or guardians or other persons for trans- 
porting or providing for the transportation to and from school of all 
persons of school age who attend and who are entitled to transpor- 
tation. Such contracts must provide that the children shall be ac- 
tually transported in a safe and comfortable manner in a convey- 
ance provided with protection against cold and inclement weather. 
The driver of each conveyance shall be of good moral character, 
trustworthy, and responsible. Such driver shall have control of the 



34 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

children and be responsible for their good behavior while going to 
and returning from school. He shall not use profane or improper 
language and shall prohibit the use of such language on the part of 
the children. He shall report all cases of insubordination to the 
parents and to the teacher or principal of the school. In all cases 
where a contract is entered into with a person other than the parent 
or guardian of the children to be transported, such person shall file 
a bond in the sum of three hundred dolla,rs running to the school dis- 
trict with approved sureties in double the amount; said bond to be 
forfeited to the district in case of failure of such person to provide 
transportation in accordance with terms of the contracts, as speci- 
fied in this section. 

Section 430 — 4. If in the judgment of the school board of any 
district it is to the interest of the district to provide board and lodg- 
ing in lieu of transportation for all or a part of the period for which 
transportation has been authorized by the electors or is required by 
law for children residing more than four miles from the nearest 
school in the home district or in an adjoining district, it shall be le- 
gal and shall be the duty of such school board to make arrange- 
ments whereby such children shall be boarded in a suitable place 
not more one mile from a school. The school board shall make a 
contract with the person or persons with whom such child or chil- 
dren board, and shall pay for the board and lodging of such pupil 
or pupils out of the fund provided for transportation, provided the 
amount so paid for board and lodging of any child shall not exceed 
two dollars and seventy-five cents per school week of five days. 

Section 430 — 5. The school board of the district in which the 
pupil resides and the principal teacher of the school in which the 
pupil is enrolled shall on or before the first day of August of each 
year make under oath a report giving the name of each pupil trans- 
ported more than two miles; the number of days transportation was 
provided for such pupil; the number of days such pupil attended while 
being transported; the distance from the home of such pupil to the 
school; the amount paid for transportation, to whom paid, and such 
other information as the state superintendent may require. In case 
board and lodging have been provided in accordance with section 
43 — 4, said report shall give the name of each pupil so boarded and 
lodged, the number of days such pupil attended while being boarded, 
the distance from the home of such pupil to the nearest school in 
the home district or an adjoining district, distance from the board- 
ing place to the school attended, the amount paid for board and 
lodging, to whom paid, and such other information as the state su- 
perintendent may require. 

Section 430 — 6. Upon receipt of such report, if the state super- 
intendent shall be satisfied that transportation or board and lodging 
have been provided in accordance with law, he shall certify to the 
secretary of state the amount due such district on account of provid- 
ing transportation or board and lodging, or both, said amount to be 
determined as follows: 



SCHOOL, LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 35 

(1) For each pupil residing more than two miles and not more 
than three miles from the school for whom transportation was pro- 
vided for at least six months, or for such time as required by law, 
and who attended not less than five months while being so trans- 
ported, ten cents per day for each day attended while being trans- 
ported. 

(2) For each pupil residing more than three miles but not more 
than four miles from school for whom transportation was provided, 
for at least six months or for such time as required by law, and who 
attended not less than five months while being transported, fifteen 
cents per day for each day attended while being transported. 

(3) For each pupil residing more than four miles from school 
for whom transportation was provided for at least six months or for 
such time as required by law, or who, residing more than four miles 
from the nearest school in the home district or in an adjoining dis- 
trict, was boarded in accordance with the provisions of section 430 
— 4, and who attended not less than five months while being trans- 
ported or boarded, twenty cents a day for each day attended while 
being transported or boarded. 

(4) In case of any pupils for whom transportation was provided 
for at least six months or during such time as said pupil resided in 
the district but who failed to attend five months while being trans- 
ported, the district shall receive the aid as provided in paragraphs 
(1) to (3), inclusive, provided such failure to attend five months 
was due to absence from the district or any other legal excuse. 

Section 430 — 7. Whenever the electors of any rural district con- 
taining one or more one-department rural schools shall direct the 
school board to close all the schools in the district, each such district 
shall be entitled to special state aid as hereinafter provided, upon 
complying with the following conditions: 

(1) Tuition shall be paid for all persons bf school age who may 
desire to attend school at a district maintaining a one or two depart- 
ment rural school, or a state graded school, or the grades below the 
free high school in a free high school district for at least thirty-two 
weeks, including legal holidays, and transportation shall be provided 
for the same period of time for all such pupils who reside more than 
one mile from the nearest school in an adjoining district. 

(2) The average daily attendance of pupils transported under 
the provisions of this section from any district to the school in any 
rural school district, or to a state graded school, or to the grades in 
a district maintaining a free high school, shall be at least eighty per 
cent of the entire number enrolled for transportation to such school 
during each term of school. 

(3) The district board shall, in all cases where the school is 
closed and transportation is provided by team, enter into a written 
contract in the name of the district with one or more persons where- 
by it is agreed that such person or persons are to transport or pro- 
vide for transporting the children in a safe and comfortable manner 



36 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

to and from the school or schools in the district where provision has 
been made for their schooling. The children shall be transported 
in a safe and comfortable manner in a conveyance provided with 
protection against cold and inclement weather. The driver of each 
conveyance shall be of good moral character, trustworthy, and re- 
sponsible. Such driver shall have control of the children and be re- 
sponsible for their good behavior while going to and returning from 
school. He shall not use profane or improper language and shall 
prohibit the use of such language on the part of the children. He 
shall report all cases of insubordination to the parents and to the 
teacher or principal of the school. Provided that in cases where it 
is practicable, conveyance by interurban, steam railway, or automo- 
bile shall be equivalent to transportation by team. In all cases 
where a contract is entered into with a person other than the parent 
or guardian of the children to be transported, such person shall file 
a bond in the sum of three hundred dollars running to the district, 
with approved sureties in double the amount; said bond to be for- 
feited to the district in case of failure of such person to provide 
transportation in accordance with terms of the contract, as specified 
in this section. 

(4) No state aid under the provisions of this section shall be 
paid to any district providing transportation and tuition for its pu- 
pils at a district maintaining a rural school of one or more depart- 
ments, unless the school in the district where such nonresident chil- 
dren attend shall be a first class rural school as defined in sections 
5 6 Of to 5 60m, inclusive, and acts amendatory thereof, and it is 
further provided that in case the district entering into a contract 
for the schooling of nonresident pupils, according to the provisions 
of this section, shall fail to maintain a first class rural school as pro- 
vided in sections 5 6 Of to 560m, inclusive, then such school district 
shall forfeit its right to collect tuition from the district where* such 
nonresident children reside for such school year or part of a school 
year that the school in such school district shall not have been main- 
tained as a first class rural school. 

(5) The school board of each district taking advantage of this 
section shall make annually, on or before the first day of August, a 
special report, under oath to the state superintendent of public in- 
struction, showing that the above conditions have been complied 
with, and this report shall give the names and ages of the persons 
transported, the number of days each such person was transported, 
and attended school, the rate of tuition paid, the amount of tuition 
paid for each person, and such other information as the state super- 
intendent may require. 

(6) It shall be the duty of the county superintendent of schools 
in any county where a district takes advantage of the provisions of 
this section and provides transportation and tuition at a rural school, 
as provided in paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, to report annually 
to the state superintendent, upon the blanks furnished by him, such 
information as he may require for the purpose of ascertaining if the 



SCHOOL LAWS OP WISCONSIN, 1917 3.7 

rural school in such district during the year for which aid is claimed 
was maintained as a first class rural school, according to the provi- 
sions of sections 560f to 560m, inclusive. 

(7) In case of a disagreement concerning the standard of work 
done in any rural school, the decision of the state superintendent 
shall be final, and he shall have power, either in person or through 
inspectors of schools, to investigate the quality of work done and 
equipment offered in any of the schools accepting nonresident pu- 
pils under the provision of this section. 

(8) If upon receipt of the report, as provided in paragraphs (5) 
and (6) of this section, the state superintendent shall be satisfied 
that the district has complied with all the requirements of this sec- 
tion, he shall certify such fact to the secretary of state, who there- 
upon shall draw a warrant in favor of the treasurer of such district 
for a sum equal to the amount expended by such district for tuition 
and transportation, provided such amount shall in no case exceed 
one hundred fifty dollars for any one district; provided, further, a 
district receiving the special state aid provided in this section shall 
not be eligible to receive special state aid for transportation, as pro- 
vided in section 430 — 6. 

Section 430 — 8. In sections 430 — 1 to 430 — 7, inclusive, the 
word "distance" shall be interpreted to mean distance as measured 
by the nearest traveled highway. 

Section 43 — 9. Each district complying with the provisions of 
subsection 3 of section 430 — 1 of section 43 — 7, shall receive the 
same apportionment of state and other taxes as provided by "law, as 
would have been received had school been maintained in the district. 

(20.2?) (3) Annually, such sums as may be necessary, for 
transportation and tuition of pupils, as provided in sections 430 — 1 
to 430 — 9, inclusive, of the statutes. 

(20.26) (2) (c) The amount of state aid for each graded 
school shall be computed upon the following basis: for a graded 
school of the first class, three hundred dollars; for a graded school 
of the second class, two hundred dollars; for a graded school of 
either class in which special instruction in agriculture or other in- 
dustrial subjects, as may be prescribed by the state superintendent, 
shall have been offered and presented in an efficient manner by a 
competent teacher and approved by the state superintendent, an ad- 
ditional one hundred dollars. 

This chapter is a reenactment of the different transportation laws. 
For the sake of convenience, they have been gathered under one 
heading. In this way they can be easily studied and compared. 
Special attention must be given to sections 430 — 3, 430 — 4, 430 — 5, 
and 430 — 6. This latter section should be carefully studied. Care- 
ful study should also be given to section 430-7. 

Members of school boards may rest assured that if a complaint is 
made that the transportation has not been such as required by this 
statute, the aid which might otherwise be received by the district will 
be withheld therefrom. No half-way doings, and failure to secure a 
competent, gentlemanly driver, a comfortable vehicle, properly 



38 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1911 

equipped, and a good team, because the contractor was the lowest 
bidder, will meet the demands of these laws. i 

Chapter 442. Section 424a. 1. All orders heretofore made by 
any town board or boards or board of village trustees or city coun- 
cil jointly or severally, or by any committee or committees on com- 
mon schools or upon appeal to such committee or committees or the 
state superintendent creating new districts, consolidating districts 
or changing school district boundaries, are hereby declared valid 
and binding notwithstanding there may have been some defect of 
parties or defect in manner of service or giving notice. 

This chapter, creating section 424a, is a remedial statute having 
for its purpose the prevention of delayed litigation in matters per- 
taining to changes in school district boundaries. 

Chapter 451. (20.21) (2) Annually, beginning July 1, 1917, 
not to exceed five thousand four hundred dollars, for institutes for 
the instruction of teachers pursuant to section 407, and for conduct- 
ing a state teachers' and a state young people's reading circle organ- 
ized by the Wisconsin teachers' association. Not to exceed six hun- 
dred fifty dollars of this appropriation is allotted, annually, for such 
reading circles. 

This appropriation comes from the state normal school fund in- 
come. 

Chapter 462. Section 474b. The electors of any common school 
district, or consolidated district, or state graded school district, or 
free high school district, or town or union free high school district, 
joint or otherwise assembled at any special or annual meeting, regu- 
larly called, are hereby empowered to authorize the board to borrow 
money from some firm, corporation, bank, or individual, or from the 
state trust funds, for the purpose of purchasing a schoolhouse site 
or a school playground, said loan to be made for a period of not to 
exceed fifteen years. No such loan shall exceed twenty-five thou- 
sand dollars and in no case shall the rate of interest exceed six per 
"cent per annum. When the loan is made from the state trust funds, 
the rate shall be four per cent per annum payable in equal annual 
installments of principal and interest. 

This chapter amends section 474 — b. It empowers the electors to 
authorize the school board to borrow money from the trust funds or 
from some other source for the purpose of purchasing a school- 
house site in addition to the erection of a schoolhouse. 

"Chapter 490. Section 1. Section 9 of Chapter 459 of the Laws 
of 19 07 is amended to read: Section 9. The board of school direc- 
tors shall elect by ballot at the regular meeting preceding the expi- 
ration of the term of offiee of the superintendent of schools who is in 
office when this act shall become effective, a person of suitable learn- 



SCHOOL. LAWS OP WISCONSIN, 1917 3,9 

ing and experience in the art of instruction, and practical familiarity 
with the most approved methods of organizing and conducting a 
system of schools, for superintendent of schools, and said superin- 
tendent of schools shall hold his office until the first day of July next 
following his election as herein provided, and for three years there- 
after, except in case of removals as herein provided, and each third 
year thereafter the said board shall elect at the first regular meeting 
in January, a superintendent of schools, as provided herein, who 
shall serve for the term of three years from the first day of July next 
following his election. 

The superintendent of schools shall, under the direction of the 
boards, have a general supervision of the public schools and of the 
teachers in the cities aforesaid and of the manner of conducting and 
grading of said schools. He shall appoint, subject to confirmation, 
by the board, assistant superintendents and such other assistants and 
supervisors as may be authorized by the board. Such superintend- 
ent shall be an advisory member of every committee of the board, 
except at times where an inquiry into his acts or investigation of 
his official conduct shall be under consideration by such committee. 
A committee, consisting of the president of the board and four mem- 
bers of the board selected by the president, shall on a strict basis of 
eligibility and fitness, examine, certificate, employ, classify, transfer 
and promote teachers. The action of such committee shall be sub- 
ject to amendment, rejection or confirmation by the board. 

The president of the board and four members of the board, to be 
selected by the president, shall constitute a committee to select and 
determine courses of study for the schools, and textbooks to be 
used therein. The action of such committee shall be subject to 
amendment, rejection or confirmation by the board. 

This chapter applies to cities of the first class. Milwaukee is the 
only first class city. 

'Chapter 49 4. Section 553p — 1. 1. There is hereby created a 
state board of industrial education. The board shall consist of nine 
appointive members to be appointed by the governor, three of whom 
shall be employers of labor, three of whom shall be skilled employes 
other than those who have employing or discharging power, and 
three of whom shall be practical farmers. The state superintendent 
of education and a member of the industrial commission to be se- 
lected by the commission shall be ex officio members of this board. 
A majority of said board shall constitute a quorum. 

2. In the first appointments the governor shall designate three 
members to serve for two years, three members to serve for four 
years, and three members to serve for six years, from the first day 
of July of the year in which the appointments are made. Each such 
group of three members shall consist of one employer, one employe, 
and one farmer. All appointments thereafter shall be for six years 
except appointments to fill vacancies, which shall be for the unex- 
pired portion of the term. 



40 SCHOOL, LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

3. Said board: (1) Shall have control over all state aid given un- 
der sections 553p — 1 to 553p — 15, inclusive, and section 20.33, of 
the statutes; (2) shall meet quarterly and at such other times as 
may be found necessary; (3) shall elect its own oflacers; (4) shall 
report biennially; (5) may employ a director of vocational educa- 
tion and assistants for the development and supervision of the work 
of industrial education provided for in this act, and all accounts for 
sucli salaries shall be certified by the secretary of said board to the 
secretary of state. (6) shall inaugurate and determine the organi- 
zation, plans, scope and development of industrial education in the 
state. 

4. The provisions of the Act of Congress, approved February 23, 
1917, (Public No. 347, 64th Congress) entitled "An Act to provide 
for the promotion of vocational education; to provide for coopera- 
tion with the states in the promotion of such education in agricul- 
ture and the trades and industries; to provide for cooperation with 
the state in the preparation of teachers of vocational subjects; and 
CO appropriate money and regulate its expenditure", are hereby ex- 
cepted. The State Board of Industrial Education is designated as 
the board for the state of Wisconsin to cooperate with the Federal 
Board of Vocational Education in the execution of the provisions of 
the United States act and is hereby empowered with full authority 
so to cooperate. The state treasurer is hereby designated custodian 
of all funds allotted to this state from the appropriations made by 
said Act, and he shall receive and provide for the proper custody 
and disbursement of the same in accordance with said Act. 

Section 553p — 2. 1. Schools created under sections 553p — 1 
to 553p — 15, inclusive, shall be known as vocational schools. The 
law relating to agricultural schools and the Platteville mining trade 
school shall remain unaffected by said sections. 

2. All positions except that of director of vocational education 
shall be filled by civil service examination as provided by sections 
990 — 1 to 990 — 32, inclusive. 

(Section 553p — 4). 1. The local board of industrial education 
of every city, village or town shall report to the common council, or 
in case of cities having commission form of government to the com- 
mission, or to the village or town clerk at or before the first day of 
September in each year, the amount of money required for the next 
fiscal year for the support of all the schools established or to be 
established under section 553p — 1 to 553p — 15, inclusive, in said 
city, village or town, and for the purchase of necessary additions to 
school sites, building operations, fixtures and supplies. 

(Section 553p — 5.) 1. The qualifications of teachers and the 
courses of study in these schools shall be approved by the state board 
of industrial education, and shall include English, citizenship, physi- 
cal education, sanitation and hygiene and the use of safety devices, 
and such other branches as the state board of industrial education 
shall approve. 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 41 

(Section 20.33). (3) The remainder shall be distributed for 
state aid for industrial schools established and maintained pursuant 
to subsection 1 of section 553p — 3 of the statutes, and any school 
once granted such state aid shall be entitled thereto as long as the 
character of its work meets with the approval of the state board of 
industrial education, as follows: 

(a) On the first day of July in each year the secretary of the lo- 
cal board of industrial education of each city, town, or village main- 
taining such a school or schools shall report to the state board of 
industrial education the cost of maintaining the same; the character 
of the work done; the number, names', and qualifications of the 
teachers employed; and such other information as may be required 
by the said board. 

(b) If it appears from such report that such school or schools 
have been maintained pursuant to law, in a manner satisfactory to 
the state board of industrial education, the state board of industrial 
education shall certify to the secretary of state, in favor of the sev- 
eral local boards of industrial education, amounts equal to one-half 
the amount actually expended, respectively, for maintenance of such 
school or schools and salaries for instruction and supervision; but 
not to exceed, exclusive of federal aid, in any one year, twenty thous- 
and dollars for any city of the first class, or ten thousand dollars for 
any other city, town or village. If the aggregate of such amounts ex- 
ceeds the available funds of this appropriation, the state board of 
industrial education shall deduct from each an equal proportion so 
as to reduce their aggregate to the amount of the available funds. 

(c) On receipt of such certificates the secretary of state shall 
draw his several warrants accordingly, payable to the treasurers of 
the cities, towns, and villages, respectively. 

(Section 20.33) (2). The director of vocational education and 
all other employes of such board shall receive such compensation as 
shall be fixed by the board, and shall be entitled to receive their 
actual and necessary traveling expenses incurred in the discharge of 
their official duties. Such compensation and expenses shall be 
charged to the appropriation to the state board of industrial educa- 
tion. 

Chapter 49 7. Section 412. (1) Town boards of supervisors, 
village boards of trustees and city councils are hereby given power, 
acting jointly or separately as the particular case under considera- 
tion may demand, to alter school district boundaries, and to create, 
consolidate, or dissolve school districts. All territory comprising a 
school district must be contiguous and the number of a school dis- 
trict shall not be changed without the consent of the state superin- 
tendent. A new district shall not be given the name of a dissolved 
district. When two or more districts are united or in any manner 
consolidated, such enlarged district shall bear the number of the 
district involved having the largest assessed valuation as detemined 
from the last preceding assessment. 



42 SCHOOL, LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

(2) The authorities designated above may meet and act on their 
own motion or upon call of any board or council in any way inter- 
ested in the alteration, creation, consolidation or dissolution of 
school districts. The refusal, failure, or neglect of any town board, 
village board, or city council to call or to hold meetings as provided 
by law, or neglect or refuse to take any action, affirmative or nega- 
tive, upon any written request or petition of an individual, or upon 
call of any board or council interested, giving reasons for certain 
proposed changes of district boundaries, or the creation, consolida- 
tion or dissolution of school districts shall be deemed a denial there- 
of and any person aggrieved thereby may appeal as in other cases. 

(3) Any school district organization of any kind, town free high 
school and union free high school districts excepted, in one or more 
towns or in one or more towns and any village or city shall be desig- 
nated as a joint district. Such district shall not be dissolved, nor 
shall the boundaries thereof be changed except by joint action of 
the town boards, parts of which comprise such district, or joint ac- 
tion of the town board or boards and the village board or common 
council in interest, or upon appeal to proper authority, such action 
to be taken in accordance with the provisions of the statutes govern- 
ing and directing the proceedings and action in each case. 

Section 413. (1) The town board, village board,- or city coun- 
cil, as the conditions may demand, shall make a written order de- 
scribing any territory detached from one district and attached to an- 
other. They shall also specify in such order the number of any dis- 
trict dissolved and the name of the town or towns part of which 
composed it. If two or more districts are united wholly the num- 
ber of each such district shall be specified and also the number of 
the enlarged district, with the names of the town or towns and the 
county or counties interested. A copy of any order made relating 
to alteration, or formation, or consolidation of school districts shall 
be filed with the clerk of each town, village, or city interested within 
ten days from the day the order is made and no order of change of 
boundaries, or dissolution, or creation, or union of districts shall be 
made to take effect between December first and the first day of the 
following April, without the consent of the state superintendent. 

(2) It shall also be the duty of the town board, village board or 
city council, as the case may be, to deliver to a taxable inhabitant 
of the new district or of any consolidated district formed under their 
authority, a notice describing the territory embraced therein and 
fixing a time and place for the first district meeting. In such notice 
said officers shall direct such taxable inhabitant to notify all quali- 
fied voters, men and women, of the district, either personally or by 
leaving a written or printed notice at the place of residence giving 
the time and place of such first meeting at least six days before the 
time fixed therefor, the day of the meeting to be counted as one of 
the six. It shall be the duty of such taxable inhabitant to notify 
the voters as directed; to keep a record of the persons so notified 
and make due return thereof and such record and certificate of 



School laws of Wisconsin, i9i7 43 

service shall be recorded by the district clerk elected as a part of 
the permanent record and minutes of the first meeting in such newly 
created or consolidated district; provided, however, that an unin- 
tentional omission of, or failure to notify not to exceed one-sixth of 
said voters shall not invalidate' said notice or deprive the electors at 
the meeting of jurisdiction to transact any and all district business 
as provided by the statutes. 

(3) If such notice is not given by the taxable inhabitant as di- 
rected, or if the inhabitants being so notified neglect or refuse to 
meet, or if there is no competent authority in the district to call any 
district meeting, the town board of the town interested having the 
largest population shall give and cause the notice to be served. 

Section 416. A district shall be deemed organized when any two 
of the officers elected at its first legal meeting file with the clerk and 
cause to be recorded in the minutes of such meeting their written 
acceptance of the offices to which they have been respectively elected 
or when said offi,cers shall have failed for a period of ten days or 
more to state their refusal in writing. A district shall also be 
deemed legally formed when it has been duly organized and has ex- 
ercised the rights and privileges of a district for a period of four or 
more months, and no appeal or other action attacking the legality of 
the formation of such district, either directly or collaterally, shall 
be taken after such period has expired. 

Section 418. Whenever the proper authorities of any municipal 
unit or units shall contemplate an alteration, creation, consolidation 
or dissolution of any district, they shall meet and shall give at least 
five day's notice in writing to the clerk of each district to be in any 
way affected thereby. Said notice shall be signed by a majority of 
each board interested and shall give the day, hour, and place where 
they will be present to decide upon the proposed changes and the 
day of meeting shall not be counted as one of the five. It shall also 
be the duty of each district clerk to immediately notify the other 
members of his school board. The person serving these notices shall 
make due "return" thereof and said "return" shall be filed in the of- 
fice of the clerk of each municipal unit interested. No territory shall 
be detached from one district unless by the same order it be attached 
to another. A district may be dissolved by consolidation, by attach- 
ing all its territory in tracts or parcels to other districts or by creat- 
ing new districts. It shall not be lawful to give the above required 
notice by mail or by telephone. 

Section 419. In all cases where a change of school district boun- 
daries has been made, or a school district created or consolidated 
or dissolved, a copy of the order so made shall be filed with the 
clerk of each municipal unit interested and also with the clerk of 
each district in any way affected within ten days after date of the 
order. 

Section 420. If a new district be formed in whole or in part from 
one or more districts possessed of a schoolhouse or entitled to other 
property the town board or boards or other authorities at the time 



44 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

of forming such new district shall determine the proportion of the 
value of the schoolhouse, moneys on hand and other property justly 
due to such new district according to the taxable property of the re- 
spective parts of such former district or districts at the time of the 
division, and such amount of any debt, except a debt to the state be- 
cause of a loan from the trust funds, due from the former district 
which would have been a charge upon the new district had it re- 
mained in the former district, shall be deducted from such propor- 
tion. 

This chapter reenacts, changes and rearranges former sections re- 
lating to the formation of school districts and alterations of school 
district boundaries. The methods of procedure to be followed in the 
different cases which arise when division, consolidation, or dissolu- 
tion of school districts, or a change of school district boundaries is 
contemplated are given in detail on pages 364 and beyond of the 
School Code for 1915. 

It will be observed in studying this law that the refusal of the 
supervisors to take any action whatever in certain cases is the basis 
for an appeal. The purpose of this statute is to give every individual 
feeling himself aggrieved by the action or non-action of the authori- 
ties designated by statute to perform certain duties with reference to 
school districts, an opportunity to have his case heard without hard- 
ship or expense. In other words, it is a measure designed for relief 
of parties or individuals from what may be, by them, deemed arbi- 
trary or unjust action or refusals to act. The rules and regulations 
governing appeals are provided on pages 396 and beyond of the 
School Code of 1915. Through reading these directions, it will be 
recognized by any individual that an appeal is intentionally made 
an inexpensive matter. 

Chapter 499. Section 553m — 109. District school boards and 
boards of education are empowered, and directed and it is made 
their duty to adopt, for their respective schools from the list of 
school textbooks on file with the state superintendent of public in- 
struction, as provided by law, all the school textbooks necessary for 
use in the schools under their charge, and such school textbooks 
when so adopted shall not be changed for five years. 

Section 553m — 110. School districts are hereby authorized to 
purchase out of the funds of the district, texbooks direct from the 
publishers at the prices listed with the state superintendent of pub- 
lic instruction as provided by law to sell said book to the pupils at 
the actual cost to the district. 

Section 553m — 111. School districts are hereby authorized to 
purchase out of the funds of the district, school textbooks from the 
publishers at the prices listed with the state superintendent of pub- 
lic instruction as provided by law and to designate a retail dealer 
or dealers to act as the agent of the district in selling textbooks to 
pupils. The said dealer or dealers shall at stated times make settle- 
ment with the district for such books as have been sold up to the 
stated time. Said dealer or dealers shall not sell textbooks at 
prices which shall exceed a ten per cent advance on the net prices 
as listed with the state superintendent of public instruction. Any 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 45 

dealer violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a 
misdemeanor, and upon conviction, shall be fined not less than twen- 
ty-five dollars and not more than one hundred dollars. 

Section 553m— 112. It shall be unlawful for any retail dealer 
in textbooks to sell any books listed with the state superintendent 
of public instruction as provided by law at a price to exceed fifteen 
per cent advance on the net prices as so listed, transportation added 
thereto. Any dealer violating the provisions of this section shall be 
guilty of misdemeanor, and, upon conviction shall be fined not less 
than twenty-five dollars and not more than one hundred dollars. 

Section 2. This act shall not operate to prevent any school dis- 
trict from furnishing free textbooks to the pupils attending the 
schools in such district provided such textbooks shall be purchased 
by said school boards in accordance with the provisions of this act. 

There are now three comparatively recent different chapters re- 
lating to the adoption, sale, and purchase of school textbooks, and 
consequently before any district, city, or county makes an adoption, 
each of these chapters should be carefully studied and the various 
provisions discussed by the district boards and boards of education. 
The term of adoption has been changed from three to five years, 
The above chapter also fixes the maximum percentage of profit to 
dealers. Chapter 460, Laws of 1915, Sections 553m-100 to 
553m— 108 requires that textbook publishers shall file the fixed 
prices of schoolbooks in the office of the state superintendent. These 
prices are published in pamphlet form and distributed annually to 
school officers. See pages 331—333 in your copy of the school code 
for 1915. See also Sections 440 and 440a, page 268 of the code for 
1915. These sections have been on the statute books for many years 
and are changed only as to length of term books are to be used after 
adoption — to wit: to five years instead of three. 



Chapter 510. 20.26. (1) Annually, on July first, not to exceed 
fifty thousand dollars, for special state aid to partially defray the 
cost of erecting and equipping a school building in each consolidated 
rural school district formed by the uniting of the schools of two or 
more school districts as provided by law. Of this there is allotted 
to each such consolidated district one-half the cost of erecting and 
equipping its school building; but not exceeding one thousand dol- 
lars for a school of one department; fifteen hundred dollars for a 
graded school of two departments; two thousand dollars for a 
graded school of three departments; three thousand dollars for a 
graded school of four or more departments in a consolidated dis- 
trict fromed by uniting the schools of three or more districts; or 
five thousand dollars for a graded and high school in a consolidated 
district formed by uniting the schools of all the districts of a town- 
ship. Such special state aid shall be paid only upon compliance 
with sections 496 — 7 and 496 — 8 of the statutes and shall be certi- 
fied by the state superintendent to the secretary of state. The pro- 
visions of this subsection shall apply to each school district in which 



46 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

tliere are two or more school buildings located two or more miles 
apart when by a vote of the electors such buildings are abandoned 
for school purposes and such schools are united in one central state 
graded school. When such central school building is erected and 
the schools of such district are united and maintained in such cen- 
tral school, such school district shall be deemed a consolidated dis- 
trict and each school abandoned and united in such central school 
shall be deemed the equivalent of a school district participating in 
such consolidation. 

This chapter amends those sections of the statutes relating to the 
state aid to consolidated schools by providing that if there shall be 
in any school district two or more school buildings located two or 
more miles apart, and said schools are abandoned and the school 
interests centralized in one school, such action is equivalent to a 
consolidation of districts and entitles said districts to receive a cer- 
tain sum as designated above as an aid in the erection and equip- 
ment of the centralized building. 

Chapter 528. Section 1. Subsection 3 of section 458b — 2 of the 
statutes is amended and renumbered to read: (Section 458b — 2). 4. 
The state superintendent, upon the presentation of a statement 
hereinbefore mentioned in this section, and satisfactory evidence of 
good moral character, and two years' successful teaching after grad- 
uation in the public schools of the state of Wisconsin, shall issue 
certificates as follows: To any person who shall hold a university, 
normal school or Stout institute diploma, an unlimited state certifi- 
cate; to any person who shall hold a normal school elementary 
certificate, a limited state certificate, qualifying the holder to teach 
in a public school for a period not to exceed six years from the date 
of issuance of the normal school certificate. Neither a limited state 
certificate, nor a license to teach based upon the certificate from 
the elementary course of a normal school, shall qualify the holder 
as principal of a free high school having four years' course of 
study. 

(Section 458b — 2) 3. The president of the Stout institute shall 
issue to the graduates of the regular courses in manual training 
and domestic science, or of such other courses as may be legally 
authorized and duly established and offered in such institution, a 
certified statement showing the name of the graduate, the date of 
graduation, the course from which graduated. This certificate, 
when presented to the state superintendent, shall entitle the holder 
to receive a license qualifying him to teach domestic science or 
manual training, or other special subject for which a diploma has 
been granted, in any public school in the state of Wisconsin for 
one year from date of issuance. Upon presentation of satisfactory 
evidence of successful teaching for one year in the public schools 
of the state, such license may be renewed for one year by the 
state superintendent. 

This chapter is of large interest to graduates from Wisconsin nor- 
mal schools, the state university, and Stout Institute, and familiarity 



SCHOOL LAWS OP WISCONSIN, 1917 47 

and compliance with its provisions can avoid misunderstanding, de- 
lay, worry, and annoyance. Boards of education, superintendents, 
and principals should call the attention of their teachers to this 
provision of the statutes just before school opens in the fall and 
some weeks before it closes in the spring. By so doing, a good deal 
of comfort and satisfaction will result to all parties interested, 
owing to the fact that the statutes demand and the courts rule that 
school officers can contract only with legally qualified teachers. 

Chapter 53 6. 25.01 Authorized Investments and Loans. (1) 
What Funds. The moneys belonging to the common school fund, 
the normal school fund, the university fund and the agricultural 
college fund specified and defined respectively in section 20.24, 
subsection (3) of section 20.36, subsection (1) of section 20.39 and 
subsection (3) of section 20.39 shall from time to time be invested 
or loaned by the commissioners of the public lands as such moneys 
accumulate in the treasury, and said commissioners shall keep a 
separate account of all investments and loans from each fund. 

(2) Investments. Any of said funds may be invested in the pur- 
chase of county bonds issued under the authority conferred by sec- 
tion 697 — 60, or in the purchase of bonds issued pursuant to law by 
any town, village, city or county of this state. All bonds so pur- 
chased shall be deposited with the state treasurer. 

(3) Loans. Any of said funds may be loaned to school districts 
to be used in erecting school buildings, in the purchase of school- 
house sites or school playgrounds, or in refunding their indebted- 
ness, and for no other purpose; or to towns, villages, cities, coun- 
ties and boards of education, duly incorporated as such, of any city 
within the state, as hereinafter provided; and every such school 
district, town, village, city, county and incorporated board of edu- 
cation is empowered to borrow of said commissioners, from said 
funds or either of them, such sum or sums of money, for such 
time and upon such conditions as may be agreed upon between said 
commissioners and the borrower; subject, however, to the limita- 
tions, restrictions and conditions hereinafter set forth. In this chap- 
ter any such school district, town, village, city, county or incorpor- 
ated board of education, or all of them, may be designated by the 
word "municipality" or the word "municipalities". 

(4) Preferences. So far as practicable the loans sought by 
school districts and boards of education shall be supplied before 
any other loan or investment authorized by this section is made, 
and such applications shall be acted upon in the order of time in 
which they have been filed. 

25.02 Term, Amount, Interest Rate. (1) Municipal Loans 
other than to School Districts. The loans provided for by subsec- 
tion (3) of section 25.01, other than those to school districts, may 
be made for any term not exceeding twenty years, may be made 
payable in instalments, and be in such amounts as shall not, in 
connection with all other indebtedness of the municipality apply- 
ing therefor, exceed five per centum of the average assessed valua- 



48 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

tion of the taxable property therein for the three years next pre- 
ceding the application for such loan. When such loan is made to 
pay off existing indebtedness it may be advanced to the borrower 
in instalments as fast as such indebtedness or the evidence thereof 
is cancelled. 

(2) School District Loans. Every loan to a school district may 
be made for such time, not exceeding fifteen years, and for such 
amount as together with all other indebtedness of such district, 
shall not exceed five per centum of the last preceding assessed valu- 
ation of the property in such district, not less than two-thirds of 
which valuation shall be on real estate, and not exceeding in any 
case twenty-five thousand dollars, as may be agreed upon; the prin- 
cipal shall be payable in approximately equal annual instalments. 

(3) Interest Rates. All loans shall bear and draw interest at a 
rate not less than four per centum per annum payable annually 
except loans to school districts which shall bear and draw interest 
at the uniform rate of four per centum per annum; and no invest- 
ment shall be made that will yield less than four per centum per 
annum of the amount invested. 

25.04 Date when Interest and Principal become due. The an- 
nual interest and instalments of principal of all loans from the 
trust funds shall be payable into the state treasury with other state 
taxes. 

25.05 The Application. (1) For all Municipalities. No loan 
shall be made under the provisions of subsection (3) of section 
25.01 unless an application therefor be first made to the commis- 
sioners as required by this section. Such application shall state 
the amount of money required, the purpose to which it is to be 
applied, and the times and terms of repayment; and it shall be 
accompanied by satisfactory proof (a) of the assessed valuation for 
the preceding three years of all the taxable property within the 
municipality making the application; (b) of all the existing in- 
debtedness of such municipality; and (c) of the approval of the 
application as required by this section. 

(2) For Municipalities other than School Districts. Every such 
application shall be approved and authorized for a town, by the 
signatures of all of its supervisors acknowledged as conveyances 
of land are acknowledged; for a village, by a vote of not less than 
three-fourths of its trustees; for a city, by a vote of not less than 
two-thirds of the members of its common council; for the board of 
education of any city, by a vote of not less than two-thirds of all 
of its members at a regular or special meeting thereof and also by 
a vote of not less than two-thirds of all the members of the com- 
mon council of such city; for a county, by a vote of not less than 
two-thirds of all the members of its board of supervisors at some 
regular or special session thereof. Every vote so required shall be 
by ayes and noes duly recorded and taken at a regular meeting, 
except as is otherwise provided herein. 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 49 

(3) For School Districts. Every such application shall be ap- 
proved and authorized for a school district by a vote of a majority 
of its legal voters voting on such question. If such vote be taken 
at a special meeting the objects thereof shall be clearly stated in 
the notice of the meeting. The application shall state the facts in 
detail respecting the holding of the meeting, the taking and the re- 
sult of the vote required, and shall be signed by each member of 
the district board, and verified by the clerk. The statement accom- 
panying the application shall contain a correct map or plat of the 
district and, when the district is a joint district, it shall show the 
assessed valuation in its several parts separately, so that the valu- 
ations of so much thereof as lies in each town or municipality of 
which it is a part, may be readily shown. 

(4) Popular Vote. When Required. Whenever any municipal- 
ity is not empowered by law to incur indebtedness for a particular 

■ purpose without first submitting the question to its electors, the 
application for a loan for that purpose must be approved and au- 
thorized by a majority vote of such electors at a special election 
called, noticed and held in the manner provided for other special 
elections. The notice of such election shall state the amount of the 
proposed loan and the purpose for which it will be used; but this 
subsection shall not apply to loans made by boards of education 
applying as provided in subsection (2). 

(5) Irrepealable Tax Levy. Such application shall be accom- 
panied also by a certified copy under the hand of the proper clerk of 
a recorded resolution adopted by the municipality applying for or 
approving the loan, levying upon all the taxable property of the 
municipality a direct annual tax for the purpose of paying and 
suflicient to pay the interest on such proposed loan as it falls due, 
and also to pay and discharge the principal thereof within twenty 
years from the making of such loan. Such a levy shall become void 
and of no effect if the commissioners decline to make the loan; 
otherwise it shall remain valid and irrepealable until the loan and 
all interest thereon shall be fully paid. 

(6) Proceedings to be Recorded and Become Conclusive Evi- 
dence. The aforesaid application, statement and all accompanying 
exhibits and documents shall be recorded in the office of said com- 
missioners and thereupon be filed in the office of the secretary of 
state, and shall, together with the record thereof, be conclusive 
evidence of the facts therein stated. 

25.06 Certificates of Indebtedness. If the application shall be 
approved by said commissioners they shall forthwith cause certifi- 
cates of indebtedness to be prepared in proper form and trans- 
mitted to the municipality submitting the same. Every such cer- 
tificate shall be executed and signed for a school district by its di- 
rector, for a town by its chairman, for a village by its president, 
for a city by its mayor, for a board of education by its president, 
and for a county by the chairman of its board, shall be counter- 



50 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

signed by the clerk of the municipality executing the same, returned 
to the commissioners, and deposited with the secretary of state, 
who shall thereupon draw his warrant upon the state treasurer for 
the amount of such loan, payable to the treasurer of the munici- 
pality making the loan or as he may direct; and said certificate of 
indebtedness shall then be conclusive evidence of the validity of 
such indebtedness and that all the requirements of law concerning 
the application for the making and acceptance of such loan have 
been complied with. 

25.07 Alterations of Boundaries, Tax a Special Charge. All the 
taxable property in any municipality which has obtained or shall 
obtain any loan from the state or from any of its trust funds shall 
stand charged for the payment of the principal and interest thereof, 
and alterations of the boundaries of such municipality shall not be 
made until such loan shall be fully paid without the consent of the 
commissioners. The annual tax levied as provided by subsection 
(5) of section 25.05 shall be a special charge to be paid next after 
the state tax out of any moneys collected as taxes within said mu- 
nicipality. 

25.08 'Collection from Municipalities other than School Districts. 
(1) Statement of Amount. The secretary of state shall furnish 
annually to the county clerk of each county in which any such 
special charge for principal or interest is due or will become due 
in the next succeeding twelve months, a statement showing in de- 
tail the amounts due or to become due as aforesaid from the county 
and from any town, village or city therein. Such statement shall 
accompany the statement made and certified under section 1070. 

25.10 Use of Funds. No money obtained by any school district, 
school board, town, village, city or county by such loan shall be 
applied to or paid out for any purpose except that specified in the 
application therefor without the consent of said commissioners. 

Misuse of Loans from the Trust Funds. Section 4550m. Any 
supervisor, chairman of any town or county board, mayor of any 
city, president of any village or treasurer of any town, county, city 
or village who shall make or sign any order or warrant, or pay out 
or suffer or cause to be appropriated or paid out any moneys de- 
rived by loans from the state trust funds contrary to the provisions 
of section 25.10, shall be punished by confinement at hard labor in 
the state prison for a term not exceeding five years or by fine not 
exceeding one thousand dollars or by both such fine and imprison- 
ment. 

25.11 Extension of Loan. All loans made or which may be made 
from any of such funds to any rhunicipality may be extended for 
such time and upon such terms as may be agreed upon by and be- 
tween the commissioners and such borrower; provided, however, 
that no loan shall be extenedd upon which there is any default in 
the payment of interest at the time of making application therefor, 
nor to any period beyond twenty years from its inception, nor at 
any rate of interest less than the minimum established by law. 



SCHOOL, LAWS OP WISCONSIN, 1917 51 

25.13 Interest, How Accounted For. Every sum of money col- 
lected as interest upon any loan from either of the trust funds speci- 
fied in section 25.01 shall be paid into the state treasury and be 
credited to the income of the fund from which the loan was made. 

This chapter is a consolidation of all the different statutes relat- 
ing to loans from the trust funds. School officers should not permit 
themselves or the electors to become confused as to the different 
sections of this chapter but should confine their study particularly 
to the sections relating to loans to school districts and to the in- 
struction given in the school code for 1915 under the heading, "Be 
sure you're right, then go ahead." See page 391, Code of 1915. 

Chapter 542. Section 926 — 145. All cities of the third and 
fourth class, operating under a special or a general charter, and all 
school districts operating under the general law or a special char- 
ter, and including within their limits all or any part of any such 
cities, are hereby authorized to levy annually a special tax for 
school purposes not exceeding five mills on the dollar of the as- 
sessed valuation of all the real and personal property in said city 
or school districts for that year, in addition to the total tax now 
authorized to be levied by such cities or school districts, and such 
tax may be levied and collected in the same way as other school 
taxes are levied and collected in such cities and school districts. 

The rate was formerly three and one-half mills on the dollar. 

Chapter 544. Section 392q. The course of instruction for stu- 
dents who have enrolled prior to July 1, 1917, shall be two years 
in length and for students who enroll after July 1, 1917, shall be 
three years in length and shall embrace geology, mineralogy, chem- 
istry, assaying, mining and mining surveying and such other 
branches of the practical and theoretical knowledge as will, in the 
opinion of the board, conduce to the end of enabling students of 
said school to obtain a knowledge of the science, art and practice 
of mining and the application of machinery thereto. The dean of 
the college of engineering of the University of Wisconsin shall be 
consulted concerning the course of study, and the same and all 
modifications thereof shall be approved by him. No student who 
shall have been a resident of the state for one year next preceding 
his admission shall be required to pay fees or other charges for 
tuition or other purposes in said school, except for the cost price 
of materials actually consumed by such student in pursuit of any 
studies. The board may prescribe rates for tuition for any student 
who shall not have been a resident as aforesaid, which shall not be 
less than fifty nor more than two hundred dollars per year. 

Chapter 546. 25.09 Collections from School Districts, (1) Dis- 
tricts Not Joint. The collection of principal and interest of loans 
made from the trust funds to school districts other than joint dis- 



52 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

tricts shall be collected in the manner provided by section 25.08 for 
such collections from other municipalities. 

(2) Joint Districts, (a) WheneA^er a joint school district shall 
make any such loan the clerk of such district shall notify in writ- 
ing the clerks of the several towns or villages of which such dis- 
trict is composed of such loan and the terms thereof; and there- 
after the clerk of each such town or village shall, on or before the 
second Monday of September in each year, until such loan shall be 
paid, transmit to the district clerk a statement certified by him of 
the valuation of all taxable property in that part of such district 
which lies in his town or village according to the last assessment 
roll, or, if the same shall have been eaualized as provided in section 
471, such equalized valuation thereof. The clerk of such joint 
school district shall forthwith certify to the county clerk every such 
valuation so certified to him. 

(b) When such joint school district is composed of territory lo- 
cated in two or more counties the county clerk shall transmit to 
the secretary of state on or before the twentieth of September in 
every year a copy of the statements so certified to him by the dis- 
trict clerk. The secretary of state shall in every year furnish to 
the county clerk of each county in which lies any joint school dis- 
trict or part of a joint school district from which any such payment 
is to become due the total amount to be levied in his county upon 
such joint school district at the same time that he certifies to that 
officer the state tax. 

(c) The county clerk shall at the proper time after receiving 
such certificate from the secretary of state apportion the amount 
certified for collection to the proper towns and villages in accord- 
ance with the valuations certified to him by the district clerk; but 
it shall be carried out in a separate column, and the district from 
which it is due shall be specified. The town clerk shall charge and 
carry out such amount in his tax roll to the district or part of dis- 
trict to which it belongs in a separate column, and the tax shall be 
collected and paid with and in the same manner as the state tax. 

This chapter is of special importance to the clerks of Joint School 
Districts that are indebted to the state. It imposes a new duty 
upon the district clerk and demands his attention. There are in 
round numbers 2,000 districts in this state that are called Joint 
because they comprise territory lying in two or more towns, or in a 
town or towns and a village or in a town or towns and a city. 

Chapter 5 63. Section 49 — 1. (1) With the advice and con- 
sent of the state superintendent any city or school district or two 
or more school districts may establish one or more free high schools 
to be known as district free high schools in the manner and with 
the privileges herein provided. 

(2) The question of establishing such schools in a single dis- 
trict shall be submitted by the school district board to the legally 



SCHOOL, LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 53 

qualified voters at any annual or special meeting or election upon 
written resolution therefor proposed for adoption. 

(3) At least six day's notice of such proposal embodying the 
resolution shall be given by the district clerk by posting copies 
thereof in four or more public places in such school district, or by 
publishing such notice in any newspaper published in said district 
once each week for two successive weeks immediately prior to the 
time set for holding such meeting. 

(4) The vote on such proposal shall be taken by ballot. The bal- 
lots shall be written or printed "for high school" and "against high 
school." If the resolution be adopted the clerk of the election shall 
submit notice of such action to the state superintendent for his ap- 
proval. If such action meets the approval of the state superintend- 
ent he shall issue a certificate of establishment of a district free 
high school in said district. 

Section 490 — 2. Whenever a petition, in writing, praying for the 
submission of the question of establishing a free high school in a 
single district and signed by at least one-tenth of the qualified 
voters residing in said district shall be filed with the school district 
board, it shall be the duty of the district clerk to submit a resolu- 
tion for that purpose to the voters of such school district, as pro- 
vided in section 490 — 1. 

Section 49 — 3. In all school districts which now constitute dis- 
trict free high school districts or which shall hereafter become such 
high school districts, the district board shall be the free high school 
board and the officers shall be the oificers of the free high school 
district. 

Section 49 — 4. (1) In case two or more school districts pro- 
pose to establish, jointly, a district free high school, action shall 
be taken by each district as in the case of the establishment of such 
school by a single district. 

(2) Within six days after the election the school boards of the 
districts shall meet in joint session and canvass the returns and 
certify the results to the state superintendent and to the officers 
elected. If the resolution be adopted by each district and such 
action meets the approval of the state superintendent he shall issue 
a certificate of establishment of a joint free high school in such 
districts. 

( 3 ) All procedure subsequent to the issuance of the certificate of 
establishment of such district free high school shall be governed by 
the statutes relating to the organization and administration of 
union free high schools. 

(4) The officers of a joint free high school district and their elec- 
tion and term of office shall be as directed in the case of a union 
free high school composed of an incorporated village and outside 
territory. 

(5) Such joint district free high school shall be entitled to share 
in state aid as in the case of district free high schools. 



54 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

Section 490 — 5. (1) In any city having a system of school or- 
ganization according to the provisions of a general or special char- 
ter, a resolution proposing the establishment of a district free high 
school may be acted upon by the board of education. If such reso- 
lution be adopted the secretary of the board shall notify the state 
superintendent of such action. If such action meets the approval 
of the state superintendent he shall issue a certificate of establish- 
ment of a district free high school in such city. 

(2) In all cities having a system of school organization accord- 
ing to the provisions of a general or special charter which now 
maintain one or more district free high schools, or which shall here- 
after establish one or more district free high schools, the board of 
education shall be the high school board and the city treasurer shall 
be ex officio the treasurer of the high school district, unless the city 
charter provides otherwise. 

Section 490 — 6. (1) Any school district containing within its 
boundaries a city in which a high school is maintained and which 
expends annually in the maintenance of its schools, a sum exceed- 
ing four thousand dollars, may, upon determining so to do by the 
vote of the electors present at any annual school meeting, have a 
district board, comprising seven members, which shall be known 
as a school board of the city comprising in whole or in part such 
district, three of whom shall be respectively the director, treasurer 
and clerk, who shall each discharge the separate duties now im- 
posed upon such officers by law, and shall be elected and hold office 
for the term now provided by law, and no two of whom shall be 
residents of the same ward in such city until each ward therein 
shall have at least one member on such board. Where such school 
district and city are identical in territory the members of the dis- 
trict board shall be chosen one from each ward of such city in the 
order in which the wards are numbered until the full number is 
chosen; and in case such city has fewer than seven wards an addi- 
tional member or members shall be chosen from the district at 
large. 

(2) The number of members of any school board shall not be 
increased as provided in subsection (1) unless a notice in writing 
of the proposal for such increase, signed by at least twenty-five 
electors of the school district, shall be filed with the clerk of said 
district at least ten days prior to the annual meeting; and the clerk 
shall include in the notice of such meeting the substance of such 
proposal. 

(3) Removal by a member of such board from the ward from 
which he was chosen shall create a vacancy. 

(4) All directors, clerks and treasurers in office prior to the es- 
tablishment of said board shall continue in their respective offices 
during the full term for which they were elected. The remaining 
four members of said district board shall be elected as school dis- 
trict officers are elected, at the annual school meeting at which such 
high school district is established; two thereof to be elected for the 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 55 

period of one year and the remaining two for the period of two 
years and until their successors have been elected or appointed. At 
every succeeding school meeting in such district there shall be 
elected, in addition to a director, clerk or treasurer, as the case may 
be, two of such additional members of such board, who shall hold 
their office for two years and until their successors are elected or 
appointed. 

(5) Any vacancies in said board shall be filled as in the case of 
vacancies in district boards, the members filling such vacancies to 
hold until the next annual district meeting. 

(6) Such school boards shall exercise all the powers and dis- 
charge all the duties imposed upon the district board existing prior 
to the establishment of such board. The regular meetings of said 
board shall be held, and special metings thereof may be called upon 
request of any three members of such board to the clerk, who shall 
thereupon, at least twenty-four hours before such special meeting 
is held, give written notice thereof to the remaining members of 
the board. 

Section 49 — 7. With the advice and consent of the state super- 
intendent a free high school, to be known as a union free high 
school, may be established and maintained in any town, or in any 
tract of contiguous territory having an erea of not less than thirty- 
six nor more than seventy-two square miles and bounded by town, 
school district, section or half section lines or by lines bounding in 
part an existing free high school district, or in cases where impas- 
sable streams, lakes or swamps render it impracticable to follow 
such boundary lines, such natural boundaries may be substituted. 

Section 490—8. (1) In case the tract of territory to be em- 
braced within such district is entirely included in one town and does 
not include within its boundaries an incorporated village, the town 
board of that town shall submit the question of establishing such 
union free high school to the voters of such, tract, whenever a notice 
is filed with the town chairman praying for the submission of such 
question. Such petition shall describe the boundaries of the pro- 
posed district and shall be signed by at least one-tenth of the quali- 
fied voters resident therein. The chairman shall, within ten days 
after the receipt of the petition, notify the town clerk, and the 
clerk shall at once cause ten days' notice of such election to be 
given by posting six copies thereof in at least six different public 
places in such tracts, or by publishing such notice in any newspaper 
published therein once each week for two successive weeks immedi- 
ately prior to the time set for holding the election. The election 
shall be conducted and the vote canvassed as in the case of town 
meetings. 

(2) In case the said tract lies in two or more towns and con- 
tains no incorporated village such petition may be presented to the 
chairman of any one of the town boards in such towns, and 
said chairman shall, within five days after the receipt of said 
petition, notify the other tpwn chairman or chairmen, as the case 



56 SCHOOL, LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

may be, of the receipt of such petition and shall set a date for a 
meeting of all the chairmen of the towns involved for the purpose 
of fixing a time and place for holding such union free high school 
election. Thereupon, the said chairmen shall meet on said day and 
fix the time and place for holding such election; but if any chair- 
man is unable to attend he shall delegate some other supervisor 
of his board to act in his place. The election shall be noticed and 
conducted for the entire tract of territory which is to be proposed 
to be included in the union free high school district; and shall be 
held by the town board of the town in which the election is held 
in the manner provided in subsection (1). 

(3) In case the tract proposed for the union free high school 
district contains an incorporated village, the petition may be pre- 
sented to any town chairman, as provided in subsection (2), or to 
the president of the village. Thereupon, the official to whom the 
petition is presented shall notify each chairman and the village 
president of the receipt of such petition and shall set a day for a 
meeting of said officers for the purpose of fixing the date for hold- 
ing the union free high school election. The election for the village 
shall be held in the village on the same day that the election for 
the territory lying outside is held. The election for the territory 
lying outside the village may be held in the village or at any other 
convenient place agreed upon which shall be designated in the notice 
of election. The election for the village shall be noticed and con- 
ducted and the votes canvassed in the manner provided for village 
elections; and the election for the territory lying outside the vil- 
lage shall be noticed and conducted and the votes canvassed in the 
manner provided for town elections. If the outlying territory com- 
prises parts of two or more towns the supervisors at their first meet- 
ing shall designate the town in which such election shall be held 
and the officers of said town shall notice, control and direct such 
election. 

(4) In all cases the vote shall be by ballot, and the ballots shall 
be written or printed "for union free high school" and "against 
union free high school". The proposal shall not be deemed adopted 
unless a majority of the electors residing in the territory outside 
of the village and a majority of the electors residing in the village 
shall vote for the union free high school. 

(5) The result of the election shall be certified at once by the 
election officers to the clerk of each town and village concerned; 
and if the proposal be adopted the result shall also be certified to 
the state superintendent by the respective clerks within six days 
after the election. If such action meets the approval of the state 
superintendent he shall issue a certificate of establishment of a 
union free high school in said tract of territory. 

Section 49 — 9. If an existing free high school district is in- 
cluded in the tract proposed for a union free high school district 
the establishment of the union free high school district, as pro- 
-s'ided in section 490 — 8 and of a union free high school as herein 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 57 

provided, shall annul the organization of any such existing free high 
school district. 

Section 490 — 10. (1) The officers of a union free high school 
district shall be a director, a treasurer and a clerk who shall have 
the same authority and be charged with the same duties and liabil- 
ities respectively as the officers of other free high school districts. 
The term of each shall be three years, beginning with the annual 
union free high school district meeting to be held the third Mon- 
day in March, and each officer shall continue in offiice until his suc- 
cessor shall have been chosen; provided, that at the same election 
at which the proposal of establishing the district is submitted the 
clerk shall be chosen for one year; the treasurer for two years and 
the director for three years, but a separate ballot box shall be pro- 
vided for the election of such officers. 

(2) All elections shall be by ballot and a plurality of the votes 
cast shall elect. In case an incorporated village is included in the 
proposed district the officers of election for the outside territory 
shall meet at once after the polls are closed, in the office of the vil- 
lage clerk and all votes for the outside territory and the village 
shall be counted as a joint vote. 

(3) Any person present at a meeting at which he shall be elected 
as an officer shall be deemed to be notified thereof. Any person 
elected and not present shall be notified of his election by the clerk 
of said election within five days thereafter. Unless the person so 
elected and notified shall, within ten days after his election, file with 
the clerk a written refusal to accept the cflice he shall be deemed 
to have accepted the same. 

(4) The time until the first annual meeting shall be counted as 
the first year in determining the term of office. Thereafter officers 
shall be elected annually in place of those whose terms expire at 
the annual meeting of such union free high school district. 

(5) Any vacancy in the district board may be filled by the board 
within ten days after the vacancy occurs, and if not so filled, the 
town or village clerk of the town or village in which the union free 
high schoolhouse is situated shall fill such vacancy by appoint- 
ment. Any person, upon being notified of his appointment, shall 
be deemed to accept the same unless within five days thereafter he . 
shall file with the clerk or director a written refusal to serve and 
shall continue in office until the next annual election, when the 
electors shall fill such vacancy for the unexpired term. 

Section 49 — 11. (1) The annual union free high school dis- 
trict meeting for the election of officers and the transaction of other 
business shall be held on the third Monday in March unless that be 
a legal holiday in which case it shall be held the next day. 

(2) The election of district officers shall be held in some conveni- 
ent room in the union free high school building, if there be such 
building, and if not, then in some other convenient room deter- 
mined upon by the board and specified in the notice. If the notice 



58 SCHOOL LAWS OP WISCONSIN, 1917 

does not so specify the election shall be held in the building in 
which the last annual meeting was held. 

(3) The election of officers shall be by ballot and a suitable bal- 
lot box shall be provided. The polls shall be opened at one o'clock 
in the afternoon of the day fixed by law for holding annual union 
free high school district meetings, and shall be closed at seven 
o'clock of the same day. The time of opening and closing the polls, 
as well as the place of holding the election, shall be specified in the 
notice of such election or meeting, but the failure so to do shall not 
vitiate any such election. 

(4) Immediately after the polls are closed and the ballots 
counted the electors shall organize for the purpose of conducting 
the regular and usual business other than the election of oflBcers, 
necessary for carrying on and maintaining the union free high 
school. As soon as the meeting is regularly organized the result 
of the election of officers shall be declared. 

(5) The officers to conduct the election shall consist of the union 
free high school district clerk and two other persons selected by the 
district board. If an incorporated village is comprised in the dis- 
trict one officer shall be selected from the village and one from the 
territory lying outside of the village and included within the union 
free high school district. The inspectors and clerks of election shall 
make and keep a list of all electors, male and female, voting at the 
election. 

(6) The compensation to be paid to the inspectors and clerks of 
any annual or special meeting shall be fixed by the district board 
but shall not exceed two dollars for each inspector; and shall be 
paid from the district treasury. 

Section 49 — 12. The district clerk shall give at least six days' 
previous notice of the annual meetings by posting notice thereof in 
six or more public places in the district, one of which shall be fixed 
to the outer door of the union free high school building if there 
be one in the district; and he shall give like notice for any ad- 
journed meeting if the adjournment be for more than one month. 
The failure to give due notice of annual meetings shall not affect 
the validity of the meeting, unless it shall appear that such failure 
was wilful or fraudulent. 

Section 49 — 13. It shall be the duty of the union free high school 
district board to meet on the Saturday immediately preceding the an- 
nual meeting, carefully examine the accounts of the treasurer and 
make up a full itemized report showing all receipts and expenditures 
since the last annual meeting, the amount in the hands of the treas- 
urer or the amount of the deficit, if any, for which the district is 
liable, the amount necessary to be raised by taxes for the support 
of the school for the ensuing year, and the amount required to pay 
the interest or principal of any debt due or to become due during 
the year. Such report shall be submitted in writing at the annual 
meeting and recorded by the clerk at length with the action thereon 
in the proceedings of the meeting. 



SCHOOL LAWS OP WISCONSIN, 1917 59 

Section 490 — 14. Special meetings shall be called by the clerk, 
or in his absence by the director or treasurer, on the written re- 
quest of twenty voters of the district. Notices specifying particu- 
larly the business to be transacted shall be posted in the manner 
prescribed for calling the annual meeting. In addition to such post- 
ing the notice shall be published once each week for two successive 
weeks immediately prior to the time set for holding such meeting, 
in any newspaper published in the union free high school district. 
If no newspaper is published in the high school district the publica- 
tion may be in one newspaper published at the county seat of the 
county containing the high school district, or if the district lies 
partially within two or more counties then in. one newspaper at the 
county seat of each county containing part of such district. The 
electors, when lawfully assembled at a special meeting, shall have 
the power to transact the same business as at an annual meeting, 
except the election of officers; but no more than one such special 
meeting to consider the same subject shall be held in the district 
in the same school year. 

Section 490 — 15. The incorporation of a part of the territory of 
a union free high .school district organized under the provisions of 
this act as a village or city shall not affect the organization of such 
union free high school district. 

Section 490 — 16. The electors of any union free high school dis- 
trict and the electors of any common school district included within 
the union free high school district are empowered to authorize and 
direct their respective school boards or boards of education to en- 
ter into an agreement for the erection and maintenance, jointly, of 
a school building for housing the high school and the common 
school or schools. 

Section 49 — -17. (1) The procedure for the alteration of the- 
boundaries of a union free high school district shall be as follows: 
a petition in writing, signed by at least one-tenth of the voters of 
the union free high school district, desiring and asking for said al- 
teration, shall be presented to the chairman of the town, president 
of the village, or mayor of the city in which the union high school 
building is situated. The officer to whom the petition is presented 
shall fix a time for a meeting of the town board or boards, or of the 
town board or boards and the village trustees or city council, as the 
case may be, which time shall not be less than ten nor more than 
twenty days from the time the petition was received. He shall cause 
written notice fixing the time and place of the meeting to be pre- 
sented to each supervisor, trustee or city councilman at least five 
days prior to the day set for the meeting. Such meeting shall be 
held at the union high school building unless some other conveni- 
ent place shall be designated in the notice. 

(2) The town board or boards or said board or boards and the 
trustees or common council, as the case may be, shall jointly con- 
sider the alteration of the union free high school district as de- 
scribed in the petition, and shall grant or refuse the same as the 



60 SCHOOL, LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

majority of those present and voting shall decide. Such action shall 
be subject to appeal to the state superintendent. 

(3) In case the town chairman, mayor or village president to 
whom any applicaion shall have been presented, shall neglect or re- 
fuse to fix the time and place for or to give notice of the meeting, 
as provided In this section, or in case the town board or boards, 
village board, or common council of any town, village or city in 
which the whole or any part of such district shall be located, shall 
neglect or refuse to be present at such meeting, or shall refuse or 
neglect to hear a vote upon the application before them, the appli- 
cation shall be deemed denied and an appeal to the state superin- 
tendent may be had as in other cases of denial. 

(4) Nothing in this section shall authorize the reduction of the 
area of any union free high school district to less than thirty-six 
square miles. Neither shall anything in this section authorize the 
inclusion of any new territory without the consent of a majority of 
the electors residing therein, such majority to be determined by an 
election held upon petition signed by at least one-tenth of the legal 
voters resident in the territory to be annexed, according to the pro- 
visions of this act relating to the election for the establishment of 
a union high school in territory lying in one or in two or more 
towns and not including an incorporated village. 

Section 490 — 18. No free high school shall be established un- 
less at least twenty-five persons of school age, residents of the 
proposed free high school district, give evidence, through examina- 
tion or otherwise, satisfactory to the state superintendent, that they 
are prepared to begin a high school course. 

Section 49 — 19. Any election for the establishment of a free 
high school shall be void unless such free high school is organized 
within two years from the date of the election. 

Section 490 — 20. (1) All taxes for the purposes of free high 
school districts shall, except as herein otherwise provided, be levied 
and collected as in the case of single or joint common school dis- 
tricts of the state; and all such moneys raised and received for the 
purpose of maintaining such free high school shall be paid out only 
on orders drawn and countersigned in the manner prescribed for 
making payments in common school districts. 

(2) The clerk of the free high school board shall certify all taxes 
levied for free high school purposes to the .town, city or village 
clerk. If any free high school district is joint, consisting of the 
whole or parts of different municipalities, it shall be the duty of the 
clerk of the free high school board to certify to the clerk of each 
such municipality the proportionate amount to be raised by each; 
such apportionment to be determined according to the total valua- 
tion of all the taxable property as equalized by the boards of re- 
view, a statement of which shall, as soon as the establishment is 
complete, be sent by the respective clerks to the clerk of the free 
high school district. 



SCHOOL, LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 61 

(3) The free high school district taxes so apportioned shall be 
entered on the next tax roll of the various municipalities and col- 
lected and returned as other taxes and paid to the high school dis- 
trict treasurer. Delinquent taxes shall be returned to the county- 
treasurer as in other cases. 

Section 49 — 21. If the electors of any free high school district 
at the annual or at a subsequent special district meeting held prior 
to the third Monday of November following, shall not vote a tax 
sufficient to maintain said free high school for the term of at least 
nine months during the current year, the free high school board 
must, on or before the Wednesday next following said third Mon- 
day of November, determine the sum necessary to be raised to so 
maintain such free high school and to furnish additional necessary 
equipment, and the clerk shall forthwith certify to the proper town, 
city or village clerks the amount so fixed. Upon receipt of this cer- 
tificate the town, village or city clerks shall assess the same as other 
taxes are assessed. 

Section 490 — 22. Whenever any town free high school district, 
comprising two towns and a city, shall have been established and 
if after such establishment any school district, a part only of which 
lies in such joint town free high school district, shall establish and 
maintain a district free high school, that part of .such district free 
high school district lying in the joint town free high school district 
shall be exempt from taxation for high school purposes in the joint 
town free high school district. 

Section 490 — 23. The free high schools shall be free to all pu- 
pils resident in the district. Every principal of such school shall, 
in addition to his qualification as teacher of a common school, be a 
graduate of some university, college or normal school, hold a state 
certificate or pass an examination in the studies required to be 
taught in any such school; provided the state, certificates authorized 
by law and the certificates authorized by section 49 6a shall qualify 
their holders both as principal and as teachers of common schools; 
and each principal and assistant teacher in a free high school shall 
be eligible to teach only on approval of his certificate by the state 
superintendent; and the free high school board or boards of edu- 
cation having charge of such schools .shall determine, with the ad- 
. vice and consent of such superintendent, the course of study and 
minimum standard of qualification for admission to the same. 

Section 490 — 24. The free high school board shall conduct the 
affairs of the free high school district on the same general plan pro- 
vided for a common school district, and possess, with respect to 
such free high school district all the powers and be charged with all 
the duties conferred and imposed by these statutes on the district 
officers and district board of a common school district. It shall 
provide adequate teaching force and neceSsary equipment, such as 
seats, desks, apparatus, library books and general supplies. The 
treasurer shall give a like bond to be approved and filed in a simi- 
lar manner. The free high school district clerk shall make a report 



62 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

of the liigli scliool similar to that required by section 462, omitting 
the first subdivision. The board may grade such school and estab- 
lish the branches of study to be taught therein, under the advice 
and approval of the state superintendent. Every forfeiture and 
punishment for neglect or violation of duty by a common school dis- 
trict officer shall apply to a free high school district officer for like 
neglect or violation. The report of free high schools in cities not 
under a county superintendent shall be included in the reports from 
such cities to the state superintendent. 

Section 490 — 25. (1) Except as specially provided otherwise, 
the annual school district meeting shall be the annual meeting of 
the high school district for the transaction of business relating to 
the high school, and special high school district meetings may be 
held as in the case of common school districts. 

(2) Every resident elector of the free high school district shall 
be entitled to vote at any annual or special meeting; provided such 
elector has resided therein for at least thirty days preceding such 
meeting. 

(3) At the election held for the purpose of establishing a free 
high school district the electors may vote to provide a sum of money 
suificient for the support and maintenance of the high school for 
the next succeeding year, and may also authorize the board to lease 
suitable rooms and provide necessary equipment for the use of the 
high school. 

(4) No tax, or loan, or debt shall be voted at a special meeting 
unless three-fourths of the legal voters shall have been notified, 
either personally or by a written notice left at their place of resi- 
dence, stating the time, place and object of the meeting, and speci- 
fying the amount proposed to be voted at least six days before the 
time appointed therefor, exclusive of the day on which the meet- 
ing is to be held. 

Section 490 — 26. The inhabitants of any free high school dis- 
trict, qualified by law to vote at a free high school district meeting 
when assembled at the first and each annual meeting in their high 
school district or at any adjournment thereof, shall have power: 

(1) To appoint a chairman for the time being, and in the ab- 
sence of the clerk, appoint some person to act in his stead. The 
person so appointed shall certify the proceedings of such meeting 
to the free high school district clerk, who shall enter the same in 
the records of the free higli school district and file and preserve 
the certificate of such temporary clerk. 

(2) To adjourn from time to time as occasion may require. 

(3) To vote such tax as the meeting shall deem sufficient to pur- 
chase or lease a suitable site for the free high school; to build, hire 
or purchase a schoolhouse; to keep in repair and furnish the same 
with necessary furniture, ventilating and heating apparatus, and 
to provide for the equipment and maintenance of the free high 
school. 



SCHOOL LAWS OP WISCONSIN, 1917 63 

(4) To authorize and direct tlie sale of any free high school- 
house site, or other property belonging to the free high school dis- 
trict when the same shall no longer be needed for use in the dis- 
trict. 

(5) To impose such a tax as may be necessary to discharge any 
debts or liabilities of the free high school district lawfully incurred. 

(6) To authorize the free high school district board to borrow 
money as provided in the statutes. 

(7) To authorize the free high school district board to purchase 
textbooks for use in such free high school, to be loaned or furn- 
ished to the pupils under such conditions as may be prescribed by 
the electors or by regulation of the board. 

(8) To determine the length of time a free high school shall be 
taught in such free high school district during the ensuing year, 
which time shall not be less than nine months. 

(9) At the annual meeting only, to vote a tax to compensate 
the clerk, the treasurer and the director, which in free high school 
districts supporting graded and high schools, shall be such sums 
as may be voted; and in union free high school districts and joint 
free high school districts, not more than twenty-five dollars, nor 
less than five dollars to each of the above officers. 

Section 49 — 27. The state superintendent shall prepare a 
course or courses of study suitable to be pursued in free high 
schools, publish the same and furnish the same upon application. 
He shall exercise such personal supervision and make such personal 
inspection of the work of such schools as they seem to require and 
the other duties of his office may warrant; he shall examine or cause 
to be examined all teachers of free high schools, required by law 
to pass such examinations to qualify them for teaching in high 
schools, and grant certificates to such as pass examinations satis- 
factorily, which certificate shall be in such form and for such time 
as he may prescribe, and shall authorize the holder to teach in such 
special place or places, or in the whole state, as the qualifications 
of the candidate may warrant. Said superintendent shall furnish 
suitable blanks for annual and special reports for all such schools 
which shall require returns as to the number, age and sex of all 
pupils enrolled, the number in each class or in the course of study, 
the number pursuing English branches only, the number complet- 
ing the course of study each year, and such other statistics as may 
be deemed necessary. 

Section 49 — 28. The school board of any school district main- 
taining a free high school or a union free high school and not con- 
taining a city in which a city superintendent is employed, may con- 
tract with a qualified teacher who shall have at least one year's 
experience as a principal of a high school to act as principal of such 
high school for a term of not more than three years. 

Section 49 — 29. (1) Any free high school district may be 
dissolved, or one of two or more free high schools maintained by any 



64 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

free high school district, may be discontinued by the same course 
of procedure required to establish such free high school district in 
the territory comprised in the district at the time such dissolution 
or discontinuance is proposed, except that the approval of the state 
superintendent shall not be necessary for such dissolution or dis- 
continuance; but no election for such dissolution shall be held 
within four years after the date when such free high school district 
was organized. 

(2) Ballots at such election shall be written or printed "for dis- 
solution" and "against dissolution" or "for discontinuance"' and 
"against discontinuance", as the case may be. 

Section 49 — 3 0. After the dissolution of any free high school 
district the property of such dissolved district shall be disposed of 
and the assets and debts shall be apportioned and distributed sub- 
ject to and in the manner provided by section 424 of the statutes, 
so far as the same may be applicable. 

Section 49 — 31. The free high school board of any free high 
school district, organized under the laws of this state, shall admit 
to the high school under its control, whenever the facilities for 
seating and instruction will warrant, any person of school age pre- 
pared to enter such school, who may reside in any town or incor- 
porated village but not within any free high school district, and 
who shall have completed the course of study in the school district 
in which he resides, or one equivalent thereto. Persons so admitted 
shall be entitled to the same privileges and be subject to the same 
rules and regulations as pupils of the school who are residents of 
the free high school district. 

Section 490 — 32. (1) Whenever persons not residing in any free 
high school district and having completed the course of study in 
the school district in which they reside, or one equivalent thereto, 
as herein provided, enter any free high school in Wisconsin, or any 
free high school in another state, which is nearer to the home of 
such persons than any free high school in this state, offering a course 
of study equivalent to the course of study in free high schools in 
Wisconsin, the free high school board of that district shall be en- 
titled and is hereby authorized to charge a tuition fees for such pu- 
pils not exceeding one dollar per week. 

(2) On or before the first day of July in each year the secretary 
of the free high school board shall make a sworn statement to the 
clerk of the city, town or village from which any person may have 
been admitted to said free high school, setting forth the residence, 
name, age and date of entrance to such school, and the number of 
months' attendance during the preceding school year, of each per- 
son so admitted from such city, town or village. Such statement 
shall further show the amount of tuition which, under the provi- 
sions of this section, the district is entitled to receive for each per- 
son reported as having been a member of the school from such city, 
town or village and the aggregate sum for tuition for all such per- 
sons. Said statement shall be filed as a claim against the town. 



SCHOOL, LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 65 

city or village where such person resides, and shall be allowed as 
other claims are allowed. 

(3) A certificate or common school diploma issued by or under 
the direction of the county or district superintendent of schools, 
setting forth that the holder thereof has completed the course of 
study in the school district in which he resides, or one equivalent 
thereof, which course shall be at least equivalent to the course of 
study provided by the state superintendent for the common schools 
of the state, or a duly certified copy thereof, shall be evidence of 
the completion of the course of study, as provided in this section. 
Such certificate or diploma, or a certified copy thereof, shall be filed 
with the secretary of the free high school district upon admission 
of the holder to the free high school. All diplomas, certificates or 
certified copies thereof so filed shall be attached to the sworn state- 
ment of such secretary when making claim for tuition to the town 
in which such person resides, as hereinbefore provided. 

Section 490 — 3 3. (1) The village clerk shall enter upon the 
tax roll of the village for the ensuing year such sums as may be due 
for tuition on account of residents of the village who have attended 
such free high school or schools, and the amount so entered shall 
be collected when and as other taxes are collected, and shall be 
paid, when so collected, to the treasurer of the free high school dis- 
trict or districts where such persons have attended the free high 
school or schools. 

(2) The clerk of any town not having within its territory a free 
high school district shall enter upon the tax roll of the town for the 
ensuing year such sums as may be due for tuition on account of the 
residents of the town who have attended such free high school or 
schools, and the amounts so entered shall be collected when and as 
other taxes are collected, and shall be paid when so collected to the 
treasurer of the free high school district where such persons have 
attended the free high school or schools. 

(3) The clerk of any town or city, a portion of which constitutes 
or forms a part of a free high school district shall enter upon the 
tax roll for that part of the town or city not within a free high 
school district such sums as may be due for tuition on account of 
residents of that portion of the town or city that have attended such 
free high school or schools, and the amounts so entered shall be 
collected when and as other taxes are collected and shall- be paid, 
when so collected, to the treasurer of the free high school district 
where such persons have attended the free high school. 

Section 496c — 2. It shall be the duty of the school board of every 
union free high school in the state, to publish, or cause to be pub- 
lished, or posted in five prominent places, during the week preced- 
ing the annual meeting, a summarized financial report of receipts 
and disbursements for the preceding year for such district, and the 
recommendations for the following year, in a newspaper published 
within the town, city or village where such school is located; said 



66 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

report not to exceed five folios, and in case tliere is no newspaper 
published within such town, city or village, then such report shall 
be published in any newspaper having a general circulation in such 
town, city or village, and published within the county where such 
school is located. 

(20.27) (1) Annually, on October first, not exceeding one hun- 
dred thousand dollars, for state aid to school districts which shall 
have established and maintained one or more district free high 
schools as provided by law. 

(20.27) (2) Annually, on October first, not exceeding seventy- 
five thousand dollars, for state aid for union free high schools and 
for consolidated free high schools; but if the aggregate claims 
against this appropriation in any year are less than the whole ap- 
propriation the remainder thereof for that year is appropriated and 
added to the appropriation for that year made by subsection. (1). 

(20.27) (3) (b) Thereupon, on or before the first day of Octo- 
ber, the state superintendent shall, subject to the provisions of para- 
graph (c), fix and certify to the secretary of state the amounts ac- 
cruing to each such district, as follows: for each district free high 
school which shall have been maintained for not less than eight 
months in such school year, one-half of the amount expended for 
instruction in such school over and above the amount required by 
law to be expended for common school purposes, but not to exceed 
five hundred dollars to any district free high school in any one 
year; for each free high school mentioned in subsection (2) one- 
half the amount expended for instruction in such school, but not 
exceeding nine hundred dollars to any such school having a princi- 
pal and one assistant, not exceeding twelve hundred dollars to any 
such school having a principal and two assistants, and not exceed- 
ing fifteen hundred dollars to any such school having a principal 
and three or more assistants; but no state aid shall be apportioned 
to any free high school after it has been in operation for four years 
unless the average daily attendance for the year is at least fifteen 
pupils. 

Section 4. On and after July 1st, 1917, all free high schools 
heretofore established and maintained according to the provisions 
of the statutes for organization and maintenance of town free high 
schools, shall be known and designated as union free high schools, 
and shall thereafter be conducted and maintained according to the 
provisions of the statutes governing the organization and mainte- 
nance of union free high schools. The town free high school board 
in office July 1st, 1917, shall thereafter constitute the union free 
high school board, and the members thereof shall continue in office 
for the term for which they w^ere elected, except that the limit of 
the term of each member shall be the third Monday of March, at 
the time of the union high school district meeting, when their suc- 
cessors shall be elected according to the provisions of the union free 
high school law. 

This chapter rearranges the entire high school law for the state. 
High schools maintained in ordinary school districts will continue to 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 67 

operate as heretofore. What have hitherto been known as Town 
Free High Schools cease to exist as Town Free High Schools. By 
this statute, however, they are placed under the head of Union Free 
High School districts. The courses of study, employment of teach- 
ers, state aid, etc., are not affected. These schools will hereafter be 
known as Union Free High Schools, and the conduct of meetings, 
election of officers, etc., etc., will be held in accordance with the 
directions given above. 

It will be readily recognized that this is a much more popular 
form of school government for these large districts than was offered 
by the abolished Town Free High School law. Under the Town Free 
High School law, the elections, being held on the day of town elec- 
tions, tended to confuse school matters with town politics and also 
to keep women electors from exercising the right of voting on school 
matters. The change of form of school government will prove bene- 
ficial and satisfactory in every way. 

Uhapter 580. Section 1. There is added to the statutes a new 
section and to section 20.32 a new subsection to read: Section 579t. 
(1) Upon application by the district board of any school district 
embracing within its limits any village or city, or the board of edu- 
cation of any city, the state superintendent may authorize such 
school district board or board of education to establish and main- 
tain within the corporate limits of any such village or city, respect- 
ively, a special class for the instruction of exceptional persons of 
school age who reside in said school district or city. 

2. The courses, qualifications of teachers and plan of organizing 
and maintaining such special classes shall comply with such re- 
quirements as may be outlined by the state superintendent of pub- 
lic instruction. 

3. The state superintendent of public instruction shall appoint 
in his department a person of suitable training and experience who 
shall have general supervision of such classes and who shall give 
special attention to examining, testing and classifying the pupils ap- 
plying for admission to such special classes and perform such other 
duties as the state superintendent may direct. Such supervisor shall 
be exempt from the provisions of sections 16.01 to 16.29, inclusive, 
of the statutes, and his salary shall be fixed by the state superin- 
tendent, provided such salary shall not exceed two thousand dol- 
lars per year. 

4. The board of education maintaining such special class or 
classes under the provisions of this section shall, through its sec- 
retary or other executive officer, report annually to the state super- 
intendent, or oftener if he so directs, such facts relative to such 
class or classes as he may require. 

5. Upon the receipt of such report, if it shall appear that the 
special class or classes have been taught by qualified teachers and 
in every respect maintained in accordance with the requirements 
governing such special classes, the state superintendent shall certify 
to the secretary of state, as due each board of education maintain- 
ing such special classes, a sum equal to one-third the amount ex- 
pended for salaries of teachers of such special classes, provided 



6g SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

such, sum shall not exceed three hundred dollars per year for each 
of said teachers; provided, further, that in case the average at- 
tendance of any such special class shall be less than the minimum 
attendance required by the regulations governing such classes, the 
state superintendent may in his discretion apportion a sum which 
shall bear the same relation to the apportionment hereinbefore pro- 
vided as the average daily attendance bears to the required mini- 
mum attendance. Upon receiving such certificate, the secretary of 
state shall draw his warrant, payable to the treasurer of the school 
board maintaining such classes, for the amount specified in such 
certificate. 

Chapter 614. (Ch. 459, laws of 1907) Section 16. 1. The said 
board shall report to the common council of each city under this 
act, at or before the first meeting of the council in September in 
each year, tlie amount of money required for the next fiscal year 
for the support of all public schools in said city including high 
schools, and it shall be the duty of said common council to levy 
and collect a tax upon all the property subject to taxation in said 
city, at the same time and in the same manner as other taxes are 
levied and collected by law, which, together with the other funds 
provided by law, and placed at the disposal of said city for the 
same purpose, shall be equal to the amount of money so required 
by the said board of school directors for school purposes, as pro- 
vided in this act; the said board shall also report to the common 
council, at the same time as above, the amount of money required 
for the next fiscal year for the repair and keeping in order of school 
buildings, fixtures and the repair of broken or worn out furniture, 
the making of material betterments to school property and the pur- 
chase of the necessary additions to school sites, in accordance with 
the provisions of this act, and it shall be the duty of the said com- 
mon council to levy and collect a tax upon all the real and personal 
property in said city, subject to taxation, at the same time and in 
the same manner as other taxes are levied and collected by law, 
which shall be equal to the amount of money so required by the 
said board of school directors for the said purpose, as provided in 
this act; provided, th.at the tax bo levied upon each dollar of the 
assessed valuation of all property, real and personal, in said city, 
subject to taxation, shall not in any one year, exceed two and seven- 
tenths (2.7) mills, except that for the years nineteen hundred and 
eighteen and nineteen hundred and nineteen it shall not exceed two 
and nine-tenths (2.9) mills on the dollar of the total assessed valu- 
ation of all property, real and personal, in such city, subject to tax- 
ation, for the support of all schools, and three-tenths (.3) of a mill 
upon the dollar of the total assessed value of all property, real and 
personal, in such city, subject to taxation, for the repair and keep- 
ing in order of school buildings, fixtures, grounds and fences, the 
purchase of school furniture and the repair of broken and worn 



SCHOOL LAWS OP WISCONSIN, 1917 69 

out furniture, the making of material betterments to school prop- 
erty and the purchase of necessary additions to school sites, and the 
said taxes for the purpose named in this section shall be in addition 
to the ten (10) mill tax provided for by law for other city pur- 
poses. The said tax and the entire school fund of the city shall not 
be used or appropriated, directly or indirectly, for any other pur- 
pose than the payment of the salaries of the superintendent of 
schools and his legally authorized assistants, the secretary of the 
school board, and legally qualified teachers whose appointments 
are confirmed by said board and such employes as the board may 
deem necessary, the necessary and current expenses of the schools, 
including the purchase of school supplies, apparatus, fuel, gas, 
electricity or electrical power, and such other school purchases and 
purposes as may be required for the proper maintenance and admin- 
istration of the schools. 

2. All moneys received by or raised in such city for school pur- 
poses shall be paid over to the city treasurer, to be disbursed by 
him on the orders of the president and secretary of said board, 
countersigned by the city comptroller; provided, that the president, 
instead of signing each order, may certify upon the pay rolls furn- 
ished by the _ secretary to the comptroller to the fact that the 
amounts therein are correct as allowed by said board. Provided, 
that the board of school directors may provide by resolution for 
the payment of all persons employed by said board in the service 
of the city upon monthly pay rolls, and the manner in which the 
same shall be certified, audited and approved, and payment made 
thereon, and isuch pay rolls shall in all cases be certified by the 
president and secretary and finance committee of said board of 
school directors, and countersigned by the city comptroller of such 
city. 

This chapter amends section 16 of chapter 459 of the Laws of 
1907. This law relates to cities of the first class only (Milwaukee is 
the only city of this class in Wisconsin). 

Chapter 652. Section 560m. All special state aid for first class 
rural schools for the year ending June 30, 1917, and all state aid 
on account of transportation of children to and from school for the 
year ending June 30, 1917, in accordance with sections 419e to 419h, 
inclusive, 430 — 1 to 430 — 8, inclusive, 496 — 9 to 496 — 12, in- 
clusive, 496q to 496t, inclusive, and subsection 7 of section 496e, 
statutes of 1915, shall be apportioned and paid in accordance with 
the provisions of the statutes of 1915. 

Chapter 674. Section 439a — 1. Until September first, 1918, any 
person between the ages of fourteen and sixteen, unless indentured 
as an apprentice, as provided in section 2377, and after that date any 
person between the ages of fourteen and seventeen, living within 
two miles of the school of any town, or within the corporate limits 



70 SCHOOL, LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

of any city or village and not physically incapacitated, who is not 
required by section 439a to attend some public, private or parochial 
school, and who is not attending a free high school or equivalent 
of a high school, must either attend some public, private, or paro- 
chial school, or attend for at least eight hours a week for at least 
eight months and for such additional months or parts thereof as 
the other public schools in such city, town or village are in session 
in excess of eight during the regular school year, or the equivalent 
as may be determined by the local board of industrial education, 
an industrial, continuation, or commercial school, provided such 
school or schools are maintained according to the provisions of sec- 
tions 553p— 1 to 553p — 9, inclusive, in the town, village or city in 
which his parents or guardians reside. This section shall apply 
only to persons between the ages herein specified, living in towns, 
villages and cities maintaining schools as provided in sections 553p 
— 1 to 553p — 9, inclusive, of the statutes. 

(Section 1728a) 1. No child between the ages of fourteen and 
seventeen years unless indentured as an apprentice, as provided in 
section 23 77 of the statutes, shall be employed, required, suffered 
or permitted to work at any time in any factory, or workshop, store, 
hotel, restaurant, bakery, mercantile establishment, laundry, tele- 
graph, telephone or public messenger service, or the delivery of any 
merchandise, or at any gainful occupation, or employment, directly 
or indirectly, or, in cities wherein a vocational school is maintained, 
in domestic service other than casual employment in such service, 
unless there is first obtained from the industrial commission or 
from a judge of a county, municipal, or juvenile court designated 
by the industrial commission where such child resides, or from some 
other person designated by said commission, a written permit au- 
thorizing the employment of such child in such employment within 
such time or times as the said industrial commission or a judge or 
other person designated by said commission may fix; providing, 
that such times shall not conflict with those designated in subsec- 
tion 1 of section 1728c. 

(Section 1728a — 3) 1. The permit required by section 1728a 
of the statutes shall contain the signature of the director of the 
continuation school where the child is to attend and state the name, 
the date and place of birth of the child, and describe the color of 
hair and eyes, the height and weight, and any distinguishing facial 
marks of such child, and that the papers required in subsection 2 
hereof have been duly examined, approved and filed. 

Section 1728b. 1. Every person, firm or corporation, agent or 
manager of any firm or corporation employing minors in domestic 
service coming within the provisions of subsection I of section 
1728a or in any factory or workshop, store, office, hotel, restaurant, 
bakery, mercantile establishment, laundry, telegraph, telephone or 
public messenger service within this state shall keep a register in 
the place where such minor is employed, and subject at all times 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 71 

to the inspection of any factory inspector, or assistant factory in- 
spector, or truant officer, in which register shall be recorded the 
name, age, date of birth and place of residence of every child em- 
ployed, permitted or suffered to work therein, under the age of sev- 
enteen years, except as provided by section 2377, for indentured 
apprentices. 

2. No person, firm or corporation, agent or manager of any firm 
or corporation shall hire or employ, permit or suffer to work in any 
domestic service, coming within the provisions of subsection I of 
section 1728a, mercantile establishment, factory or workshop, store, 
office, hotel, restaurant, bakery, laundry, telegraph, telephone or 
public messenger service, any child not indentured as an apprentice 
as provided in section 2377, under seventeen years of age, unless 
there is first provided and placed on file in such mercantile estab- 
lishment, factory, workshop, store, office, hotel, restaurant, bakery, 
laundry, telegraph, telephone or public messenger service office, or 
other place of employment included herein a permit granted by the 
industrial commission or by any judge or person designated by said 
commission as provided in section 1728a. 

(Section 1728c) 1. No child under the age of sixteen years 
shall be employed, required, permitted or suffered to work at any 
ga,inful occupation, other than domestic service or farm labor, for 
more than forty-eight hours in any one week, nor more than eight 
hours in any one day, or before the hour of seven o'clock in the 
morning or after the hour of six o'clock in the evening, nor more 
than six days in any one week. A dinner period of not less than 
thirty minutes shall be allowed during each day. During such din- 
ner period the power shall be shut off from machinery operated by 
children, and no work shall be permitted. Provided nothing in sec- 
tions 1728a to 1728J, inclusive, shall be construed to interfere with 
the employment of children as provided in sections 1728a — 1 and 
1728u of the statutes, 

(Section 1728c — 1) 1. Whenev'er any day continuation classes, 
industrial school or commercial school shall be established in any 
town, village or city in this state for minors between the ages of 
fourteen and sixteen, working under permit as now provided by law, 
every such child residing or employed within any town, village or 
city in which any such school is established, shall attend such school 
in the daytime not less than eight hours per week for at least eight 
months in each year and for such additional months or parts thereof 
as the other public schools in such city, town or village are in ses- 
sion in excess of eight during the regular school year, or the equiv- 
alent as may be determined by the local board of industrial educa- 
tion, subject to the provisions of section 439a — 1, until such child 
becomes sixteen years of age, and every employer shall allow all 
minor employes over fourteen and under sixteen years of age a re- 
duction in hours of work of not less than the number of hours the 
minor is by this section required to attend school. 



72 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

(Section 1728e) 1. The industrial commission or judge or other 
person designated by the commission under section 1728a, may re- 
fuse to grant permits in the case of children who may seem physi- 
cally unable to perform the labor at which they may be employed. 
They may also refuse to grant a permit if, in their judgment, the 
best interests of the child would be served by such refusal. 

(Section 1728o — 2) 1. Until September first, 1918, whenever 
an industrial, continuation or commercial school shall be estab- 
lished according to the provisions of sections 553p — 1 to 553p — 9, 
inclusive, of the statutes, in any town, village or city, any minor 
not indentured as an apprentice as provided in section 23 77 of the 
statutes, or not regularly attending any other recognized school be- 
tween the ages of sixteen and seventeen, residing or working in 
such town, village or city, shall attend such school in the daytime 
not less than four hours per week for at least eight months in each 
year and for such additional months or parts thereof as the other 
public schools of such city, town or village are in session in excess 
of eight during the regular school year or the equivalent as may be 
determined by the local board of industrial education. Every em- 
ployer shall allow all such minor employes a reduction in hours of 
worK of not less than the number of hours the minor is by this sec- 
tion required to attend school. Whenever the working time and the 
class time coincide, such reduction in hours of work shall be allowed 
at the time when the classes which the minor is by law required to 
attend are held. 

(Section 1728o — 2) 2. From and after September first, 1918, 
whenever an industrial, continuation or commercial school shall 
be established according to the provisions of sections 553p — 1 to 
553p — 9, inclusive, of the statutes, in any town, village or city, any 
minor not indentured as an apprentice as provided in section 2377 
of the statutes, or not regularly attending any other recognized 
school, between the ages of sixteen and seventeen, residing or work- 
ing in such town, village or city, shall attend such school in the 
daytime not less than 8 hours per week for at least eight months, 
and for such additional months or parts thereof as the other public 
schools of such city, town or village are in session in excess of eight 
during the regular school year, or the equivalent, as may be de- 
termined by the local board of industrial education. Every em- 
ployer shall allow all such minor employes a reduction in hours of 
work of not less than the number of hours the minor is by this sec- 
tion required to attend school. The total hours of schooling and 
employment for boys over sixteen and under seventeen years of age 
shall not exceed fifty-five hours per week. Whenever the working 
time and the class time coincide, such reduction in hours shall be 
allowed at the time when the classes which the minor is by law re- 
quired to attend are held. 

(Section 1728o — 2) 3. Any violation of this section in a case 
involving a minor in employment shall be punished as is provided 
in the case of violation of the provisions of section 1728a of the 



SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 73 

statutes and any violation in a case involving a minor not in em- 
ployment shall be punished as is provided in the case of violating 
the provisions of section 439a of the statutes. 

The enforcement of the provisions of this chapter devolves upon 
the industrial commission. 

Chapter 675. (Section 553p — 3) 7. This board shall have 
power to purchase all machinery, tools and supplies, and purchase 
or lease suitable grounds or buildings for the use of the schools 
under its supervision; to rent to others any portion of such build- 
ings and grounds not presently needed for school purposes; and to 
erect, improve or enlarge buildings for the use of said schools. Ex- 
isting school buildings and equipment shall be used as far as prac- 
ticable. All conveyances, leases and contracts shall be in the name 
of the city, and all property, real or personal, acquired by said city 
for the use of said schools under the supervision of the board of 
industrial education shall belong to the city. 

(Section 553p — 3) 6. The teachers in the schools created under 
sections 553p — 1 to 553p — 15, inclusive, .shall be employed and 
their qualifications determined by the local board of industrial edu- 
cation, subject to the approval of the state board of industrial edu- 
cation; and, subject to such approval, the said local board may em- 
ploy such other technical advisors and experts or highly trained, 
experienced and skilled individuals as may be necessary for the 
proper execution of the duties devolving upon it by law and fix their 
compensation. For office work in connection with the administra- 
tion of the schools under its control the said local board, whenever 
it deems advisable, may employ and fix the compensation of any 
students of any school under its supervision for such length of time 
as it may deem for the best interest of such students and of any 
such school. 

(Section 553p — 3) 10. Said local board of industrial education 
shall have exclusive charge and control over the schools established 
by it and over all property, real and personal, acquired by the city 
for the use of the schools under the supervision of said board, ex- 
cept as otherwise provided by the statutes governing said schools. 
Said board may sue in the name of such city, and may carry out and 
enforce all powers granted by law to said board and may defend 
all suits brought against said city in all matters relating' to said 
board. All work done or supplies or material purchased in carry- 
ing out the purposes of the statutes relating to the board of indus- 
trial education when involving the expenditure of five hundred dol- 
lars, or more, shall be by contract awarded to the lowest competent 
and reliable bidder, in accordance with the laws of this state and 
ordinances then applicable to any city having a board of industrial 
education having reference to the letting of public work by and 
through the board or commissioner of public works, or other officer 
or oflicers, or department of such city, except that said board of in- 



74 SCHOOL LAWS OP WISCONSIN, 1917 

dustrial education sliall discharge the duties imposed by sucli laws 
upon the board or commissioner of public works, or other officer 
or officers, or department of such city; but said board of industrial 
education shall have power to purchase without public advertise- 
ment or first receiving competitive bids, or the intervention of a 
formal contract, any patented article, appliance, apparatus, material 
or process, or any article, appliance, apparatus, material or process 
made or manufactured by one party only. Whenever any bidder 
for any work to be let by the board of industrial education shall be, 
in the judgment of said board, incompetent or otherwise unreliable 
for the performance of the work for which he bids, the said board 
may accept the bid of the person who, in its judgment, is the lowest 
competent and reliable bidder for said work, stating its reasons 
therefor, or relet the same anew. The board of industrial educa- 
tion may permit a sum of money or a certified check payable to 
the order of the board to be filed with any bid or proposal in such 
an amount as in the judgment of the said board will save the city 
from any loss if the bidder shall fail to execute a contract pursuant 
to law, in case his bid is accepted and the contract awarded to him. 
Every contract made by the board of industrial education shall con- 
tain an agreement on the part of the contractor and his sureties 
that in case such contractor shall fail to fully and completely per- 
form his contract Vyfithin the time therein limited for the perform- 
ance thereof, such contractor shall pay to the city as liquidated 
damages for such default, a certain fixed sum to ""be named in the 
contract, which shall be such a sum as in the judgment of said 
board will save the city from any loss on account of such defauir 
and insure the prompt completion of the contract, or in lieu of such 
an agreement contain an agreement on the part of the contractor 
and his sureties that in case such contractor shall fail to fully and 
completely perform his part of the contract within the time therein 
limited for the performance thereof, such contractor shall pay to 
the city as liquidated damages for such default a definite sum, to 
be named in the contract, for each day's delay in completing said 
contract after the time therein limited for its completion, which 
daily sum shall be such an amount as in the judgment of said board 
will save the city from loss in case of such default and insure the 
prompt completion of the contract. Every contract shall also be 
executed by at least two sufficient sureties, or a surety company, to 
be approved by the board of industrial education, who shall guar- 
antee the full performance of the contract by the contractor to the 
satisfaction of the said board, according to the plans and specifica- 
tions of the said board, and be liable for such performance of the 
contract, as sureties, in an amount equal to the said board's esti- 
mate of the aggregate cost of the work. When a contractor shall 
proceed properly and with due diligence to perform and complete a 
contract, the said board may, in its discretion, from time to time as 
the work progresses, grant to said contractor an estimate of the 
amount already earned for the work done, withholding in all cases 



SCHOOL £)AWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 75 

fifteen per cent of said estimate when said estimate is less than one 
hundred thousand dollars, and ten per cent of said estimate when 
said estimate is one hundred thousand dollars or over, which shall 
entitle the contractor to receive said estimate less the amount with- 
held. Said board shall be empowered, if it see fit, to insert in the 
specifications of any such work reasonable and lawful conditions as 
to hours of labor, wages, and the residence and character of work- 
men to be employed by the contractor, and especially so far as may 
be practicable in the judgment of said board, such reasonable and 
lawful conditions as will tend to confine employment on such work, 
in whole or in part, to permanent and bona fide residents of the 
state of Wisconsin; and provided, however, also that said board 
may do any part or parts of any such work under such conditions 
in every respect as it may prescribe by day labor. Any and all 
bids or parts of bids for any such work or supplies or materials may 
be rejected by said board. The said board shall have the power to 
demand of such bidders and contractors that all contracts shall be 
let subject to the provisions of chapter 110a of the Wisconsin stat- 
utes for 1915 and acts amendatory thereof, entitled "Workmen's 
'Compensation and Industrial Commission," to the end that said 
board and such city may be held harmless. 

Chapter 677. Section 41.18. Requirements for Admission of 
Pupils. The schools established under sections 41.13 to 41.21, shall 
be open to all residents of the cities, towns and villages in which 
such schools are located, of fourteen years of age or over who are 
not by law required to attend other schools, and to all persons over 
fourteen years of age employed in said cities, towns or villages but 
who are residents of other municipalities maintaining vocational 
schools; provided that no such person who is a resident of any mu- 
nicipality maintaining vocational schools, shall be received in or 
admitted to classes in any such school in any other municipality 
except upon presentation to the authorities of such school of the 
written approval of the local board of industrial education having 
charge of such school in the municipality wherein such person re- 
sides. Any city, town or village maintaining vocational schools as 
provided in sections 41.13 to 41.21, that shall, as herein provided, 
admit to the privileges of such schools persons employed in such 
municipalities, but who are residents of other municipalities main- 
taining vocational schools, is empowered to collect tuition for the 
schooling of such nonresident persons, from the municipality in 
which the parents or guardians of such persons reside, in the same 
manner and at the same rate of tuition as is provided for the col- 
lection of tuition for nonresident pupils in section 41.19. Any per- 
son over the age of fourteen who shall reside in any town, village 
or city not having a vocational school as provided in said sections, 
and who is otherwise qualified to pursue the course of study may, 
with the approval of the local board of industrial education in any 



76 SCHOOL LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 

town, village or city having a school established under said sec- 
tions, be allowed to attend any school under their supervision. Such 
persons shall be subject to the same rules and regulations as pupils 
of the school who are residents of the town, village or city in which 
the school is located. 

The above is a part only of chapter 677 but inasmuch as it relates 
directly to matters determined by chapter 675 and is virtually a 
continuation of that chapter, it is inserted here. 

Chapter 67 9. Section 1. It is hereby declared to be the legisla- 
tive intent that the amendment of section 20.21 of the statutes by 
chapter 612 laws of 1917 shall not repeal subsection (2) of said 
section 20.21 created by chapter 451 laws of 1917. The latter hav- 
ing been omitted from the amendment of section 20.21 by said chap- 
ter 612 by clerical oversight. 

This is a correcting statute. 

Chapter 63. Section 553a — 2. 1. The teacher, principal, superin- 
tendent or other person having direct charge of and supervision over 
any public, private or parochial school, high school, college or normal 
school in this state shall, at least once each month without previous 
warning, cause all persons in attendance at any such institution to 
be drilled in proper methods of orderly and rapid departure from each 
building exceeding one story in height belonging to such institution 
as if in case of fire. 

2. Any person who shall fail to comply with the provisions of this, 
section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction 
thereof shall be punished by a fine of not more than twenty-five dol- 
lars. 

Chapter 53. Section 1408a. 1. Upon the appearance of any dan- 
gerous communicable disease in any school district, it shall be the 
duty of the health officer of the township, incorporated village, or city 
where the schoolhouse is located to notify at once, in writing, the 
principal or teacher of such school and the librarian of all libraries 
in any such town, village, or city, giving the names of all families 
where the disease exists. If the rules of the state board of health pro- 
vide for the exclusion from school of teachers, or pupils from homes 
where such disease exists, the health officer shall request the principal 
of tfhe school to exclude from school attendance all such persons until 
a written order signed by the health officer permitting attendance at 
school is presented. 

2. Whenever the principal or teacher of the school has been notified 
of the prevalence of a dangerous communicable disease in the school 
district, or whenever the principal or teacher of the school knows or 
suspects that a dangerous communicable disease is present in the school 
district, it shall be the duty of such principal to at once notify the 
health officer of the town, village or city where the schoolhouse is 



SCHOOL, LAWS OF WISCONSIN, 1917 77 

located, of such absence from school on. account of sickness. The 
health officer must then Investigate all such cases, to determine whether 
ror not a dangerous communicable disease is present in such family. 

3. Library books shall not be taken into a home where a dangerous 
communicable disease exists, and shall not be returned to the library 
from a home where such disease exists or has recently occurred unless 
disinfected as hereinafter provided. Infected books or books suspected 
of being infected shall be burned, unless thoroughly disinfected by or 
under the direction of the local health officer. 

Section 1408b. Parents, guardians, or persons having custody of any 
child or children, shall not permit such child or children, if afflicted 
with a dangerous communicable disease, to attend school. * * * 



INDEX 



Chapter 

Additional room and teacher — Sixty pupil law 157 

Apportionment, — school census 284 

Apportionments for transportation 441 

Attendance — compulsory 285 

Board meetings — district Joint v/ith city or village 165 

Billiards — pool — minors — 18 yrs 118 

Bond — issues by cities 154 

Certificates — teachers — for 1919 and 1921 269 

Cities — first class— school boards 614 

Cities — special taxes 542 

Cities— first class — superintendent of schools ' . . 490 

City schools and school boards — first class 59 

Cleanliness of pupils — teachers' duty 9 7 

Communicable diseases — duty of teacher 53 

Compensation — director- — treasurer — census 143 

Compulsory attendance 285 

Compulsory attendance — continuation schools 674 

Compulsory attendance — truant officers 2 60 

Consolidated schools — state aid 510 

Contracts for work — (important statute) 388 

Correcting statute — institute fund (Chap. 451) 679 

County agricultural representatives 224 

County training schools 405 

County training schools — buildings for — special aid .... 232 

Crippled children — state public school 98 

Crippled children — transportation and lunches — Milwau- 
kee schools 236 

Day schools for deaf 343 

Director — treasurer — compensation — census 143 

Diseases — reports of 53 

District meetings — annual — special 135 

Districts — formation — alteration of boundaries, etc, etc. 497 

Exceptional children — special classes 580 

Fire drills — school (important) 63 

High schools — district and union 563 

Alteration of district boundaries 

Annual meeting 

Annual meeting — notice 

Board to publish financial report • 

Courses of study 

Dissolution of district 

District comprising one or two towns 

Election — how conducted 

How established 

Including city — special case 

Including incorporated village 

Officers 

Powers of electors 



Page 
13 
22 
32 
23 
14 

9 
13 
21 
68 
51 
38 

6 



10 
23 
69 
21 
45 
28 
76 
17 
30 
18 
8 

20 
25 
10 

10 
41 

67 

52-67 
59 
57 
58 
65 
63 
64 
55 
58 
52 
54 
56 
57 
62 



INDEX 



79 



union free high 



Chapter 
High schools — continued. 

Qualification — teachers 

Special meeting 

State aids 

Statement of tuition 

Taxes — how collected 

Three year contract — principal . 

Town free high schools became 
schools 

Union free high schools 

Vote taken by ballot 

Income tax — expenditure for schools 234 

Industrial and Continuation schools — tax rate 436 

Industrial schools — admission of pupils 677 

Industrial schools — power of boards 675 

Loans from trust funds — how made — districts — towns — 

etc 536 

Lunches and transportation — crippled children — Mil- 
waukee 236 

Lunches for pupils — any school 427 

Nonresident tuition — university 359 

Proposals for supplies in cities 59 

Records delivered to successor — penalty 178 

Revision of high school laws — (see high schools) 563 

Rural schools — state aid — first class 317 

Rural schools — state aid — transportation 652 

Rural schools — state aid to teachers 344 

Sanitation for schools — teachers duty 97 

Site — equipment — loans from bank or individual Ill 

Special district meetings — (important) 438 

State aid for teachers' institute 451 

State aid — minimum salary for teachers 284 

State graded schools — no aid in certain cases 187 

State Mining School — Platteville — course of study 544 

Stout Institute — graduates — teachers 528 

Stout Institute — training teachers — economics — technical 

training 416 

Superintendents in cities — first class 490 

Tax levy — first-class cities 614 

Taxes — special — cities — third and fourth class 542 

Teachers — examination — state certificates — fees 403 

Teachers — exchange — "with other states 340 

Teachers — state aid to 528 

Textbooks — five year adoption 499 

Township system — taxes to pay — unpaid obligations .... 189 

Training school for public service — LTniversity 412 

Transportation — special aid for first-class niral schools. . 652 
Transportation of pupils 441 

Board may pay lodging, etc 

Board to levy tax 

Consolidated districts 

Contract to be in writing 

Rate per mile — state aid 

Report to state superintendent . . 

State graded school — special aids 

Suspension of school — state aid . 

Suspension of school — tuition . . . 

Truant officers — duties 260 

Trust fund indebtedness — how collected — joint district — 

duty of district clerk — (Important) 546 



Page 

61 
59 
66 
64 
60 
63 

66 
55 
56 
19 
31 
75 
73 

47 

20 
31 
27 
6 
15 
52 
24 
52 
26 
8 
9 
31 
38 
22 
16 
51 
46 

31 
38 
68 
51 
29 
25 
46 
44 
17 
30 
69 

33-37 
34 
33 
32 
33 
35 
34 
37 

36-37 
33 
21 

51 



80 



INDEX 



Chapter Page 

Tuition — nonresident — state graded schools — first class 71 6 

Validating and confirming creation of districts 442 38 

Validating and confirming change of district goverrv t 172 14 
Vocational schools (See Industrial and Continuation 

schools) • 

Wild animals — economic value of — duties of teachers . . . 102 8 



'.;:!r.'. 



Syracuse, N. Y. 

PAT. JAN. 21, 1908 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



9 



020 313 008 9 



